Blessed Campers
by KaliAnn
Summary: After her success with creating a team of seven heroes, Hera yearns once more to have Champions to carry out deeds in her name. Even earn respect from the demigods of CHB. Hestia misses having Acolytes who protected her hearth. Together the two sisters find twelve mortal kids who best represent them. Blessed with a small bit of their power, can these 12 kids succeed at CHB?
1. The Blessing

_This story starts about a week after the end of "The Blood of Olympus" and ends in the final chapter of, "The Hidden Oracle." This is my second attempt at writing a fanfic based on a book series. Please give me a chance and please do not get upset if I forget something from the books. I would love some reviews to help guide me to making this the best story. Also, don't be surprised if you don't see any accent writing, I'm not good at that. Thank you._

* * *

A week had passed since the defeat of the giants and the end of Gaia's rising. The Gods had returned to Olympus triumphant that once again they had succeed in besting their ancient enemies. Though it made them bitter to admit it, they would not have succeed without the mix of Roman and Greek demigods. The renewal of friendship and peace between the two would help the Gods keep control of their different aspects and the sacrifices that helped sustain them.

While Zeus was preparing Apollo's punishment Hera was in her chambers still upset by the harsh words from Zeus. While he had stated that she had acted with honest attentions and that her heroes had done well, he had the nerve to be angry she had taken upon herself to solve the prophecy and disobeyed his orders to avoid contact with the demigods.

"Who does he think he is telling me I was wrong to disobey his orders? He is the one whose broke his own orders twice! Jason _is_ my champion! My heroes succeeded where his isolation would have left us dead!" Hera ranted to her reflection. She was brushing her beautiful hair and tending to her beautifying techniques. The Queen of the Heavens wanted to look her best for when Zeus finally remembered he had a wife and that he should be grateful for all she had done.

Remembering his harsh words she slammed the brush down. Standing up from her vanity and stormed to her balcony. Her cuckoo birds sensed her temperamental state and started to coo to reassure her that everything would be okay. "Thank you my lovely birds, but even you cannot ease the anger I feel right now." Her thoughts turned once more to final battle against the giants.

To be honest the demigod children, especially Zeus's, had always annoyed her. The combination of divinity and mortal shouldn't exist. Gods, Titans, even low level nature spirits married their own kind and had children that were natural. Demigods were different, an accidental race that proved to be both problematic and actually helpful. There was no denying the fact that without the demigods her kind would have died out a long time ago. On the other hand, very few of them ever showed the respect the Olympians deserved. Her the least of all.

"Demigods, ugh Thalia Grace, no respect at all from that little upstart! Even when she was dying Zeus intervened, making her a tree to protect the demigods. That girl came back and now I have to deal with her all for eternity because she's now immortal and protected by another of Zeus's bastard children!"

Her temper was starting to get to Hera once more. Maybe Zeus was right, she had acted rashly. Her actions almost led to their defeat. As soon as that thought enter her mind, she laughed. "Rashly? Zeus doesn't even think half the time when it's important. Thalia is barely tolerable, but Jason he is a true hero, a champion."

Maybe that was the problem. She was the Goddess of Motherhood, but all her children had grown up and while some were a disappointment; her sons to be exact, her daughters had great success. Even when Eileithyia failed to prevent Hercules birth, she had gone on to help many woman give birth to healthy babies. Even today you could find her slipping away to Earth to help with premature births to ensure the child survived.

"My daughters have found their place, even become mother's themselves. Hebe finds humans fascinating enough to have children with them. Eileithyia loves them enough to ensure each mother has a chance to experience motherhood. Mortal woman love to become mothers no matter how they turn out they love them." Musing on that idea she recalled the old days in Greece when families chose one of their children to be their heroes, their champions. In ages past mortals would pray to her and receive her blessings

Returning into her chambers, she turned to a wall she had recently redecorated. On it were images of her favorite champions throughout her existence. There were pictures of the ancient Jason next her current champion. An image of her with Leo when he was small. A final image, a quick picture that was taken in a micro second before Zeus sent the seven heroes back to Camp Half Blood. Gazing at the image, she remember how happy and certain she was. Next to being a mother, the greatest feeling was pride in those who served her causes obtained victory no matter how difficult it was.

"Hmm, Zeus thinks he is the absolute authority to make decisions for us. I am the Queen of the Heavens, the Goddess of Marriage, Womanhood, and Glory to Heroes. My temper is legendary, but I can use that to help me. I'll show Zeus I was right and that he shouldn't dare question my choices! If I can bring together seven heroes, then I'm more than capable of doing it again. Once those demigods see how benevolent I can be perhaps they will finally treat me with proper respect."

Leaving her chambers she decided to consult the one person in Olympus who could help her and would know how to proceed. She might even want to join in as she had also been largely ignored for a great deal of time. In the past, she had never wanted to get involved with either godly or mortal affairs, but Hera had a strong feeling that her older/younger sister might change her mind once she heard what Hera had planned. Entering the room where the Great Hearth was she found who she was looking for. "Hestia, my dear sister. I wish to speak with you about something of importance."

Hestia looked up from the fire and smiled at her sister. Today Hestia had decided to appear in her veiled maiden form rather than as a child. She had sensed her sister's approach and knew that it would be easier for Hera to take her advice if she matched appearance. "Hello sister, you look lovely today. What is it you wish to talk about? Does it have something to do with what happened a week ago?"

Hera nodded as she looked around for something to sit on. Hestia might not mind laying on the floor, but as Queen Hera was used to getting the best. "You wouldn't happen to have a chair I could borrow?" Hestia giggled before using her powers to summon up a chair for her sister. "Thank you dear sister. To answer your earlier question, yes what I wish to discuss has something to do with the battle last week."

"Then please explain to me what is you want." Hestia calmly listened to her sister as she explained everything to her. The Goddess of the Hearth had learned that to truly listen to a person, you must understand the true meaning of their words and the emotions behind them. Hestia noted her sister's body language, the shift in her body as she recapped her feelings about demigods to the pride in her face as she described the steps she had taken to create the hero team that helped save them.

Hera finished talking about how she wanted to make a contribution to Camp Half-Blood, as gesture in good faith to remind the demigods to show her proper respect and begrudgingly added, she missed having people who valued her assistance. Heroes who prayed to her for help or did quest in her name.

Hestia placed a hand over her sister's spreading the warmth of the fire through her. Tilting her head up, she voiced her thoughts. "It sounds to me that you are suffering from a case of empty nest syndrome and a lack of fulfillment." Hera opened her mouth to argue only to stop when Hestia pressed her finger to her lips asking Hera to let her finish speaking.

"Dear sister it is as you said, you feel great pride in your children, even if they have disappointed you in how they turned out. While you say to you detest the demigod children, deep inside I sense you are proud of many them, especially the ones who are your grandchildren. You only hold back the pride and love you feel, because to do otherwise would be against your nature. Acknowledging it would mean admitting your wrong, something that is hard to do."

"Believe me Hestia when I say that I can find fault with others with ease. I know what many say about me, that my wraith and jealousy, make me the worst Goddess ever," Hera growled. "That if I learned to let go perhaps I might actually be likeable. How can I let go of all the hurt and betrayal? It _feels_ justified, not something I did wrong."

Hestia gave her sister a knowing look. To get Hera to admit she was wrong in the past would take a few more centuries. Still, there was something she could do now that might help with the dilemma she faced. "My Queen, if you want to have people see you for more than your anger and envy, then you must be sincere with your desire to contribute goodwill to Camp Half-Blood, otherwise it will only be seen as a curse."

Hera took several deep breathes calming herself. Recalling the stress reducer techniques she'd seen on TV, she imagined all her emotions pooling at the bottom of her feet before blowing them out of her body. Hera did this several times eventually calming down. Hestia may not get involved with Olympian business most of the time, but she was the one who knew how to solve personal problems without hurting her family's feelings. That's why she was the original Goddess of Family.

"Then what do you suggest I do? I will not have demigod children. My heroes were picked for their abilities and it was under special circumstances. The other members of the family would be very upset if I tried to usurp their children to be my heroes."

"Then do what you did in the old days. Find worthy humans to be your Champions. Give them a small blessing, enough to get them into the camp, see through the Mist, and the ability to channel a small amount of your power when they need it," Hestia suggest as she turned the coals over creating a burst of fire that flickered brightly as the two goddess basked in its light.

Hera pondered over her older/younger sister's suggestion. It was an excellent suggestion. She remembered how many mortals she had blessed had achieved eternal glory. They had been grateful for her help and honored her with great sacrifices. Her temples had been filled with worshipers who counted on her for help. To have a new batch of humans carrying out deeds in her name would make her very happy.

Hera smiled at her sister impressed that she had once again came up with a solution to her problem. She could choose her champions, the mortals that best represented her domains. Children who could teach the demigods that there was a different side to her. In fact, she would start right now. "Thank you for the advice sister. With Zeus attention on Apollo's punishment, it will be easy to carry out your suggestion. In fact, you should follow your own advice and find mortals to become your new Acolytes."

A look of shock appeared on Hestia's face. She cared for the family and protected the hearth. Her only involvement of late with the demigods was with Percy Jackson when she presented him with Pandora's Box still filled with hope. Nothing after that. "I'm not a goddess who needs mortals to help sustain me. I am a virgin goddess remember."

Hera pointed out that Athena was also a virgin and still had children. Artemis was a maiden, but her bunk got filled with her Hunters whenever they visited. Even minor goddess were represented at the camp. Her sacred fire was what kept the spirit of the camp alive. Why shouldn't she have Acolytes to tend and protect it?

Hestia admitted that her hearth was there. The campers and nature spirits made sure it never went out. She was still given the firsts and the last of the sacrifices as tradition dictated. She wasn't forgotten. "Sister, please isn't it enough that I'm helping you? Why must you push this issue with me?"

"Because I know you. You are the kindest, gentlest, and most optimistic of any of us on Olympus. You treat everyone like your family including all the demigods. That makes you happy I know. I also know that you miss having Acolytes who took care of your hearths." Hera paused for a moment this time she reached out to her sister to comfort her sister. "Remember the rites performed thanking you for protecting the household? The blessing of each piece of architecture to you because without you they wouldn't have time to build them?"

Hestia did remember. She was a modest goddess, not wanting much out of life. She was happy with what she had yet she did miss others who followed her path. Woman who took care of the domestic arts and their families. The men who installed social order. The orphans she watched over in ancient times. What she missed the most was seeing people taking care of her sacred animal, the domesticated pig. Maybe it was time she did something for herself for a change.

"Dear sister, you speak the truth. One that even I did not know existed. While the heroes go on their quests, someone must remain behind to protect the home fires. To give hope when no one has it. I will join you in this quest. How do you wish to proceed?"

Hera gleamed with pride. It wasn't often one could change Hestia's mind and today she did. Another reason she was Queen of the Heavens. The two sisters discussed the details of what they were looking for. Both agreed finding humans who best represented their domains was the right choice. Since there were twelve Olympians that's how many mortals they would bless. Each of them would pick six Champions/Acolytes. To keep things even, they would have three girls and three boys.

Hestia insisted they could only pick someone between the ages of eleven to sixteen. The young ones would be protected by the older ones who in turn could learn from the younger children. Hera also conceded that they would have to be honest and open with their chosen kids. The mortals would need to understand the danger they would be facing. The children would have to choose for themselves if they would accept their blessing and follow their ways.

Once they assembled their Champions/Acolytes, Hestia would go to Camp Half-Blood to make arrangements with Chiron to accommodate the mostly mortal campers. It would be a difficult task and there was no guarantee that the demigods would accept these new campers, but she could only hope for the best.

Hera on the other hand would be in charge of finding a way to get their new Champions/Acolytes to the camp. Not only would she need to convince the parents that this was a great opportunity for the children; it would be up to her to arrange travel and safe passage to the camp without being detected by either mortals, monsters, or the other gods.

Now it was time to find the mortals who would best represent them. The majority of their being had to stay in Olympus otherwise someone would alert Zeus to what the two of them were up to. They needed to focus on their domains and send that bit of themselves out to find the one child who best represented those interest. The sisters agreed to meet up again once they found all twelve. Concentrating, six balls of essence left each of the two sisters and flew out of Olympus and to the world below.

* * *

Hestia's Essences of Family was the first to locate the perfect representative. The essences settled in the small town of Peru, IL. Her essences morphed into a young woman out for a stroll. She felt a strong tug towards the edge of the town. "I haven't had a nice friendly walk in some time. I forgot what it's like to be in a small town instead of a crazy city," she said to herself. After walking past an old fashion diner called the Igloo she went up and over a few blocks until stopping next to a ranch style house. She could hear sounds coming from the backyard.

Heading to the backyard, she peered through the fence and saw a teenage girl around the age fifteen spending the day with her family. The father was barbecuing some burgers on the grill and the mother was tending to the flower bed. The girl was over by the rabbit hutch taking care of the giant fuss ball.

"Here you go Harriet, fresh water and some new bedding," the teen stated. The nose on the rabbit twitched in delight letting her master pet her. The girl smiled happily and gave the rabbit a good scratch behind the ear. The mom asked her daughter Heather, to go clean up because lunch would be served soon.

"Okay Mom, I'll be right back." Heather stood up brushing off the grass from her tall frame. Her medium length light blond hair covered her slightly pushed out face making it difficult to see her blue eyes. The Essences watched her go inside and the come back out a bit later to have a nice lunch with her family content to be with them. "I believe I've found my first Acolyte."

While this was going on Hera's Essence for the domain of Glory had locked onto the best of the best. As her essence took form, she was immediately put off when she read the sign next to a school campus. "Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, (Staunton VA). What mortal here would live up to being a Champion for me? Surely this is a mistake!"

The Essences found itself being dragged through the gates and all over the campus. As she maneuvered around the families gathered here, she realized that this must be a summer session aimed at the families to reconnect with their children. "Family reunions that people actually enjoy. Now there's something you don't see in Olympus."

Still, why had the essences been drawn to here specifically for glory? She got her answer when she was pulled into the gymnasium. The essences sat down a few benches behind the families. Looking down at the gym floor she was awed by what she saw. "A game specifically designed for the blind? The players have fierce desire to win. Maybe there is a child that represents glory."

The game that was playing was goal ball, the first sport to make it into the Paralympics. Each team had three players. The Center player moved throughout his zone playing defense to keep the other team from getting the ball in the scoring zone. The other two players, the Wings, would block the shot and then try to score. The ball had a bell in it so that the players knew where it was.

The Essences of Glory watched the fast paced game. It reminded her of the old days when mortals sent raids to steal resources from a neighbor. One player in particular, a Right Wing, caught her attention. The girl was pushing herself harder than the rest, making up for her small size with excellent aim and speed. This girl had the makings of a great Champion.

Eventually the game ended and the players took off their protective gear. Hera's glory eyes locked on to the player she had been observing. The player was a child no older then eleven. Her auburn hair was tied in two small pigtails, her eyes were milky white, indicating she was completely blind. She turned when she heard the voices of a Caucasian couple with two older girls with them, calling her Orlanda.

"Mother, Father. Augusta, Madison. I'm glad you came. How did you think I did? Well enough to join the team this year?" Orlanda's voice was very hopeful and at the same time a bit impatient.

"I don't know about this Orlanda, you're so young and the older kids have more experience. You should focus on your studies," her mom suggested. Her husband agreed and pointed out that perhaps art or drama club would better suit her.

"Really art or drama? I'm not that kind of person! Look at Augusta, she's the baking queen and Madison is smarter than all of us combined with her doing decathlons all the time. Why can't I earn my own glory in athletics?" Orlanda challenged her parents. They looked at one another trying to find the right phrasing to their response, when Orlanda's sister cut in.

"Because they don't want you to get hurt duh," Augusta snipped. Next to her Madison was making funny faces at Orlanda knowing she couldn't see them. The parents told them to quit it and that it was time to get something to eat. Hera's glory watched Orlanda smirking. Indeed this girl would be an excellent Champion for her.

* * *

Back with the other essences, Hestia had almost finished gathering her Acolytes. The Essence of Domestic Arts had traveled very far from Manhattan to Helena, Montana where she found a twelve year old foster girl named Eunice Tanner. The girl was very different then most twelve year olds. Instead of playing with the other foster kids in her group home, she was helping the staff prepare for lunch.

The Essences sensed that cleaning the dorms, serving meals, or welcoming new arrivals made the preteen feel happy and wanted. Eunice appeared to be very practical, talking about how the leftover veggies would make good compost. The slightly chubby girl sporting brown braids and eyes would be perfect for Camp Half-Blood. The nature spirits would love her and Chiron could use the help now that he was head of the whole camp.

The Essences of Hearth found a nice girl name Sidonia Silverstein, a thirteen year old from Portland Oregon who was very responsible and careful around flames. In Chattanooga, Tennessee a boy named Chui Freeman, age sixteen, demonstrated the skills of keeping social and state order as he prepared his speech to become class president once school started. To the delight of the Essence of Symbolism, finding a friendly boy named Ichabod Stein, age fourteen, playing with his domesticated pet pig, Xylon, in Duluth, Minnesota, was pure luck.

* * *

Hera's Essences of Marriage discovered the perfect girl in Uma Naballie, age sixteen, from Madison Wisconsin, her family ties back in India made sure she would never break the sanctity that was Marriage. She obeyed her parents and talked to them about their arranged marriage, wondering who they would pick after she completed college in a few years. With her delicate and natural beauty who wouldn't want her as a wife? Yes, this girl understood that the sacred vows were meant to be kept no matter what.

Tino Gonzales, age thirteen, of Phoenix Arizona, turned out to be a surprise being chosen by the Essence of Motherhood considering he was guy. Vitas Choi, age twelve, of Raleigh North Carolina, was picked rather quickly by the Essences of Heaven. Wyatt Grimwood, age fifteen, of Augusta Maine, was saddle with the Essences of Emotions, but he looked like he could handle it.

To the surprise of both sisters, their final Essences, Architecture and Womanhood, turned out to be a pair of siblings from Wailuku Hawaii. The eleven year old boy Maui Huiah loved architecture as much as his fourteen year old sister Leilani enjoyed pushing the boundaries of womanhood.

At last all twelve children had been found. Each with their own unique abilities and potential. Hera knew her Champions would excel under the right training and Hestia was pleased with such wonderful Acolytes. Now all they needed to do was talk with the children in person before taking the final step to get them to Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

Hera's Essences of Emotions started to approach the boy Wyatt, who was sitting on the stoop of his apartment building, listening to music. By far he was the most unusual mortal that the goddess had ever encountered. His style, what was it called, punk or emo? She really didn't know. Human were always coming up with new ways to describe their personalities. Either one would work for him.

His hair was dyed a mix between green and black, the hair completely shaved off on one side. He wore red contacts that contrasted greatly to his pale skin. He was wearing combat boots with tight fitting black jeans, a punk rock band t-shirt, with a spiked bracelet on his left wrist. He noticed the nicely dressed lady and pulled off his headphones. "What's a nice lady like you doing here? Here to visit someone important?" he asked gruffly eying the strange woman.

"As a matter of fact I am. I'm looking for someone named Wyatt Grimwood. I lost his exact apartment number," the Essences replied sharply. This boy really did have an attitude.

"That would be me. So lady, what's your interest in me? I would have remembered if I had an appointment with a gorgeous femme."

The Essences of Emotions clamped down on her temper. His manners were rude to say the least. "Do you always talk disrespectfully to woman?" She was considering leaving and looking elsewhere for a better Champion. If one of her Champions couldn't show her proper respect, then they had no business being a Champion.

Wyatt held up his hands insisting he wasn't attempting to be rude. He just wanted to give her a compliment. He pointed out that she still hadn't given her name yet or what she wanted with him. "I rather take this conversation inside my apartment, but my Grandma wouldn't appreciate me bringing strangers without id."

"I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I told you I'm Hera, the Greek Goddess and Queen of Olympus would you? At least part of her, specifically her emotions? That I came here to offer you the chance to be one of my Champions. To train with modern demigods and have dangerous adventures?" The Essences asked, glowing briefly and summoning a cuckoo bird to her side.

Wyatt looked at her in awe and amazement. This lady was no illusionist, he could sense an aura coming off from this woman. When his Grandpa talked about his travels across the globe, he claimed he met different gods and goddesses. That he once battled a creature out of mythology and survived by the skin of his neck. He always believed it was the ramblings of an old man, but now here was proof.

"I have to say you're very convincing. Come on up, my Grandpa should be back from the store soon. You can tell him and my Grandma about this offer you have for me."

* * *

In Portland Oregon, Hestia's Essence of the Hearth, entered the store owned by Sidonia's family. It was a charming little shop that sold different herbs, incenses, and candles, along with other similar products. Casually strolling through the rows she observed the family closely. Two college age kids were in the back unloading a delivery. The mother was in the back doing the books as the husband stayed at the register. A glance at the security mirror showed two little girls, maybe five and seven, cleaning the floors.

Turning to the scented candle aisle she came face to face with the girl she'd been looking for. Sidonia was kneeling down as she stocked the shelves with new candles. Her short black hair framed her oval shaped face. She blew at her red bangs before brushing them out of her face. Copper colored oval shaped glasses perched on her narrow nose. Her eyes were nearly the same shade of the glasses.

Sidonia sniffed one of the new samples, blazing firewood, enjoying the rich smell of slightly burned wood with a hint of pine. "Another amazing scent. I can't wait until I'm making my own scents," she whispered to herself. Sensing someone nearby, she noticed she wasn't alone in the aisle.

"Exc…exc…excuse me Ma'Me. I didn't notice you there. Do you need some help?" the girl stuttered. She was blushing profusely as if she had been caught doing something embarrassing.

"Actually yes I do. I was wondering if you could recommend what scented candles would work best for me. I have a large family and it usually falls to me to take care of our fireplace. I would like to find scents that would please everyone when they walk into the family room to spend time together."

"Do…yo…you know….wh…at….scents your family likes?" Sidonia asked nervously.

"Well one of my nieces loves the scent of the olive tree while my other likes to surround herself in cypress. My younger brother enjoys mint, but the other two like the scent of the sea or the smell of a rainstorm. I think the person who has the most unusual scent is my youngest nephew. He really enjoys the smell of fresh wine."

Sidonia pushed her glasses back up her nose. "You have a big family." Her jaw nearly dropped when the woman told her that she had a lot more family including two sisters, several cousins, and more than a dozen different nephews and nieces. It seemed each of them enjoyed a different scent and it had to be just right or they would throw a temper tantrum.

The Essences of the Hearth, could see Sidonia's mind working as she tried to figure out all those scents. The teenager's expression changed as if she just realized something about all those scents and why they seemed familiar to her. The Essences of Hearth smiled as Sidonia came to the right conclusion.

"You're Hestia aren't you? I mean that's impossible, but all the scents you describe they match up to the symbols of different Greek gods. Oh, I'm sorry I'm rambling and making no sense." She adjusted her glasses trying to tell if she was really talking to a goddess.

"Actually, you are correct child. I am part of Hestia, the part that represents the hearth. I actually came here to see you and offer you a chance to help me. Can we talk in private?" The teen nodded as they headed to the break room to discuss the matter away from the rest of the family.

* * *

On the Southside of Raleigh, specifically the Lake Wheeler neighborhood, Vitas sat on the couch leaning forward in eager, as he listened to Hera's Essence of Heaven describe the outdoor school/camp that he'd been selected to attend. He had no idea that his school had recommended him for the school special offer. It sounded like it was a lot of fun. He couldn't wait to try some of their activities. "Mrs. Heaven, can you be a bit more specific about what you meant in combat training?"

"Of course. CHB offers a variety of different martial arts and fighting styles for everyone. We strongly believe in the foundation of defensive training and exercise for all students. There are competitions all the time to see how far the students have progressed," the Essences of Heaven explained. At the moment the disguised essences appeared to a middle age recruiter for a special alternative school. She was dressed for success to help considering she was dealing with two very traditional Korean parents who were trying to raise their son in the same way.

"Your school sounds most impressive. You say the principal is also the head teacher? Very auspicious indeed," Vitas father said as he looked over the brochure that he had been handed. The cabin dorms were spectacular in design. The classrooms, some outdoors, some indoors appeared to favor tradition instead of modernism, something that he liked. The reviews from the students and parents were very positive.

Vitas's mother looked a little unsure. There was something about the school/camp that made her uneasy. "I don't know about this. Your school is very far away. I don't know if I like the thought of Vitas being all the way up in New York, especially the big city all by himself." Glancing around, she tried to come up with reasons Vitas shouldn't be going so faraway.

"Mother, I won't be in the big city, I'll be in Long Island. Mrs. Heavens already explained that students when they leave have to have a chaperon with them and approval first from the principal first," Vitas insisted. The preteen looked at his parents respectively and silently pleading with them. While outside he looked like a traditional Korean school boy, inside he wanted a chance to pursue his own interests. Maybe even shake things up.

The Essence of Heavens sensed the father wavering on giving permission. She would not lose this Champion. "I understand your concern. I have children myself. I always want the best for them, even if that means doing things that are hard for me, but best for them." Focusing her attention on her hopeful Champion she continued to speak.

"Your culture values education and a strong competitive nature to excel. CHB, while not a traditional school, its alternative methods help ease the pressure of students, giving them the chance to prove themselves on their own merits. In fact several of our students graduate and go on to prestigious colleges."

That was the magic word. Upon hearing that Vitas's father finally agreed to let his son attend CHB. His wife respected her husband decisions. Vitas smiled and wanted to jump out of his seat in joy. He couldn't wait for his parents to finish signing the paperwork and have a one on one chat with Mrs. Heaven.

* * *

In Duluth, Ichabod, who usually went by the nickname Iggy, eavesdropped on his parents' conversation with Ms. Domsymbal. They had been extremely surprised, yet utterly delighted, to hear their son had been selected for a special program at school in Long Island. Academics and special programs was something they loved a lot. Iggy was the son of two literary professors and his biracial looks made him look like both of them.

From his father, he had inherited his light brown skin tone and height. From his mother he inherited her red hair and heart shape face. He got both his parents eyes as he had complete heterochromia. His left eye was green and his right was brown. His classmates say it gave him an exotic look. Reaching down he petted Xylon, a pot belly pig on the head earning a happy snort.

"Try to keep a little quiet Xylon. Mom and Dad's visitor is talking about you right now." Pressing his ear closer to the door that led to the living room he listened in on the fate of his pet.

"So students are allowed pets at your school?" Mrs. Stein asked in curiosity. "That is a bit unusual for a school in the United States." The literary professor looked at her husband who nodded at her unspoken question. "Ichabod, has a pet pot belly pig. Wouldn't that cause a problem?"

The Essences of Symbolism shook her head and giggled a bit. "The students live in large cabins on the campus. We've found that living outdoors helps invigorate our students in their studies. Each cabin has a different symbol. The cabin Ichabod would be in symbol is a domesticate pig if fact." The parents' eyebrows raised in surprise at that, but it was good to hear there would be enough room for Xylon and his needs would be met.

"I guess then Xylon can be the cabin mascot. It's nice to know Ichabod won't be separated from one another. Between you and me, Xylon has a bit of separation anxiety," Mr. Stein informed his guest. Xylon loved being with his owner and it was sometimes difficult to get him to calm down when Ichabod was at school.

Suddenly the door opened and Ichabod crashed to the floor as Xylon rushed over to Ms. Domsymbol, eager to be petted by her. His owner raised his eyebrows, surprised how quickly Xylon warmed up to her.

The Essences helped the boy up to his feet. "Eavesdropping on a conversation is not good manners." Turning to the parents she asked if she could speak to their son alone for a few minutes. They nodded and gave her permission to. Ichabod had a feeling this would be an interesting conversation.

* * *

Hera's Essence of Motherhood had just finished explaining in private everything to her hopeful Champion Tino. She had even demonstrated a bit of her power to prove her claim. "As one of my Champions, you will have the privilege of representing my domain of Motherhood to demigods everywhere. I understand that as a boy you might find this honor a bit strange."

Tino raised his hand waiting for permission to speak. Hera gestured for him to speak up. He spoke with a firm yet gentlemanly voice. "Ms. Hera, I'm not afraid to admit I'm a mama's boy. My Mama has worked three jobs to support us while raising me to be a man that treats women right. I am honored to be chosen as your Champion for Mothers everywhere."

Tino meant that with all his heart even if he might not look the part. The boy was on the lanky side and his hazel eyes were a bit small on his face compared to his big nose and ears. At least his medium length brunette hair was tied back in a low ponytail. Admittedly he was somewhat clumsy. None of this stopped him from helping anyone, especially the other single moms in his neighborhood. "Your offer is very tempting. I know my Mama would be thrilled if I accepted, but I need you to be clear about two things if you can Ms. Hera."

"What do you need me to clear up young man?"

Nervously Tino asked what his questions. "If I accepted this blessing, you can't take it back can you? I'd always be able to see through this Mist you speak of wouldn't? I couldn't go back to being ignorant of the whole thing."

The Essences nodded and told him point blank if he accepted this blessing, he would slowly go insane if he tried to deny what he really saw. There were a lot of ordinary humans who ended up in psych wards because they tried to explain away what they saw.

Tino nodded processing this. Then he asked if did go through this and be a Champion, how high was his chance at dying? The essences admitted he have lower chance of dying from monsters when traveling because he still basically be mortal, but if was chosen for a quest or took part in battle, he death could happen at any time.

Tino looked at a picture of him and his Mama last year visiting his grandmother in Mexico. He knew that Mexico was a dangerous place and he had done everything to protect her from danger. He even risked his own life to save two small children, who had gotten in the crossfire of a shooting. He returned them to their mother safely accepting her thanks. If there were dangers out there that no one could see then wasn't he obligated to make sure no mother lost their children to them?

"I've made my decision. I will become your Champion Ms. Hera. Please bestow your blessing on me."

The Essences of Motherhood smiled and expressed her thanks. Sitting down in a chair opposite of the bed, she placed one hand over his heart. The other was pressed against his forehead. "As Queen of the Heavens, the Goddess of Womanhood, Marriage, and Motherhood, bestow my Champion, Tino Gonzales, with a blessing of my power. To aid him in gaining glory and happiness as he serves me for as long as I will have him in my service"

Tino felt a rush of energy going throughout this body leaving a pleasant tingling sensation behind. His mind widened and he could feel a slight change in his aura. Laughter of newborn mothers filled his ears. Opening his eyes, he got off the bed and walked past the Essences as he took a look at himself in the full length mirror. Nothing had changed on the outside except the golden hue to his skin. Above his head a glowing peacock feather perched on top of a diadem spun. It was official, he was now Hera's Champion.

Meanwhile Hestia's Essences of State Order was trying to calm down her new Acolyte Chui. He was an average second generation teen whose family was originally from Ghana. He stared at his left arm, where he insisted that Hestia tattoo her symbol on him. He was starting to wonder if he made a mistake. "Chui, I don't understand why you're getting worked up. You're a natural born leader who can keep order without being a bully. Surely being the Head of the Acolytes, really just a Head Councilor, shouldn't bother you."

Chui's hands were shaking as he babbled. "Being a class president sounds easier than being put in charge of a small group of new kids who have to deal with demigods," he stated. He shivered at the thought of standing up to bigger, more powerful kids, who wanted to beat him up for no reason. Hestia's Essences had been clear about his duties. To keep things in order while protecting the home fire.

His cabin mates would be depending on him for guidance. He really didn't know the first thing about being an Acolyte, let alone how to protect a sacred fire. He always dreamed of being a leader for his class, at least he would be on equal footing. Now he wasn't so sure.

The Essences gave the boy an unexpected hug filling him with warmth and calmness. "You are not the only one starting on this new path. At least eleven other people will be trying to find their place. Throughout the year new campers will come. They'll be nervous, unsure, and afraid. You can help them not to be."

Turning the sixteen year old around to face her, she gave him a calm look. "Give yourself some time and be patient. You'll find your place at the camp. Don't worry about being better than anyone. Show them that you are part of their family."

"Okay, I just have to remember that. I've got time to prepare myself." Taking a few more deep breathes, he calmed down and told the Essences he wouldn't disappoint her. He would become the leader she saw inside him.

* * *

About a week and half later brother and sister Maui and Leilani were finishing packing their bags. The Essences of Womanhood and Architecture, had told them they be leaving early to give them time to orientate themselves, at the camp and get used to being around demigods and all the nature creatures that lived there, before most campers left for the start of the school term in September.

"I can't wait I can't wait! This is going to be so cool! Can you believe out of the millions of kids in the world, we were chosen for this?" Maui asked his sister as he jumped off the bottom bunk of their shared bed. "I'm going to get my own bed!" That's what excited the kid the most. Not meeting two real life goddess, but getting his own personal bed.

"You'll still be sharing a room with other people little brother. Try to not keep them up while you spend half the night with your models," Leilani, teased her brother gently. It was going to be strange, not sharing a bedroom with her brother. They had shared the bedroom for what felt like forever. For the first time in her teen life she'd be sleeping with others her own age. She hoped her bunk mates would be kind and that her brother would make friends with his.

The two siblings looked a lot a like being descended from Native Hawaiians. Both had slightly dark brown hair worn in traditional Hawaiian style. Leilani's hair's was slightly curled and fell over the left shoulder in long style ponytail while Maui's hair was held back in a low bun. Her big brown eyes were more oval shaped then Maui's almond ones. Maui had a birthmark on his back and she had one on her stomach.

Placing her new jacket into her suitcase she zipped it up. "All done, come on Maui, we don't want to miss our ten hour and twenty minute flight!" She didn't turn around as she took her suitcase down the hall and towards the entrance where her parents waited anxiously. They looked so sad. "Mom, Dad, don't look so sad. We're not going away forever."

Maui bounced up and down the hall with his suitcase. "Yeah, remember what Ms. Arch and Mrs. Wohood told you. This is a trial year. If we don't like it we don't have to come back next year."

"We know that Maui, it's just hard for us. You won't be around to help at the plantation this year, helping us harvest papaya," his mom told him as she gave him a big hug. Tears leaked out of her eyes.

Leilani looked over at her father. He pulled her to his side and whispered. "Keep an eye on your brother. You know how his curiosity can get the best of him. Especially with all the time spent outdoors. He could run away and no one will find him for hours."

"I promise that I'll make sure he's safe. Besides, if he does get in trouble, it's my duty as is big sister to get him out of it."

"That's my Heavenly Flower," he told her as he kissed her on the forehead. Leilani rolled her eyes. Her father had two nicknames for her. Heavenly flower and royal child, that's what her name meant. Her brother's nickname was navigator or little legend, because of the legends about the Hawaiian God Maui.

All too soon, the family was at the Kahului Airport saying their goodbyes. After much hugging and promising to stay in touch often, the siblings boarded the plane. "Aloha Wailuku and Aloha New York!" Maui cheered. Sighing Leilani put on her headphones to listen to her music during the long flight.

* * *

In Olympus Hestia was smiling happily while Hera was glowing with pride. Zeus hadn't even noticed their Champions/Acolytes. Soon they would arrive at Camp Half-Blood and stir things up. Both Goddess hoped the best for the mortals they had chosen for they sensed they soon would be tested. This was going to be an interest year indeed.


	2. The Camp

Uma glanced out the window as her plane started to dip down for landing. It was the first time she rode in a plane. Being in the air was a totally new experience. Clutching the arm rest she tried to relax as the plane made its final approach. The skirting sound of tires dragging across the runway made her cringe.

At last the plane came to a rest and the stewardess was instructing people to pick up their luggage and proceed out the plane in orderly fashion. Standing up she grabbed her bag from the overhead bin and proceeded to the exit to the gate. Instantly she was bombarded by lots noise and announcements from overhead. Planes as far away from Hawaii and Oregon the closer ones from Maine and Virginia would be arriving in a matter of minutes. She wondered if any of them carried people like her.

Picking up her suitcase from the baggage claim. "Okay, now what entrance was I supposed to go to? Entrance 2 was it? Oh I really wish I had someone to help me out." Wheeling her suitcase behind her she proceeded towards the entrance ways following the signs. It was very confusing as some of the escalator strips went faster or slower than others. Even taking slight turns making her more confused.

"Okay, do I take a right or left oof!" Uma ran right into someone and fell to ground. She twisted her body to avoid being stepped on by some running travelers. A hand reached out and helped her to her feet. "Sorry I ran into you."

"It's okay, I'm lost and I wasn't watching where I was going," the girl replied. Uma looked at the girl and was surprised by what she saw. A slightly chubby tanned girl, who looked no more than twelve stood there wearing an unaccompanied minor badge around her neck. She was also carrying a bag and a small suitcase.

"My name's Eunice, Eunice Tanner. I've never traveled by airplane before. I haven't even been out of Montana before."

"My name is Uma Naballie. This is my first time as well. Maybe we can help each other out. I'm going to be attending an alternative school this year. Well its school and camp. Do you know how to get to Entrance 2?"

Eunice eyed her with caution. She was here for the same reason. She'd been told there would be eleven others she meet at the airport, but she needed to be sure. It never hurt to be too cautious, especially around strangers. "I'm also going to a new school. It's called CHB. Do you know what that stands for?"

"Camp Half-Blood," Uma stated smiling. She was so relieved to find someone else going through the same journey as her. She felt some her trepidation ease. "Champion or Acolyte?"

"Acolyte. I'm guessing you're a Champion." The older girl nodded. She suggested that they ask someone to direct them to Entrance 2 so they could find the rest of their group. After walking for a long time the two of them found ten other kids waiting in a group by Entrance 2. All of them seemed to be in same age range and equally divided. They were spotted by one of them, a boy talking softly to a crated pot belly pig.

"Hello ladies. My name is Ichabod, my friends call me Iggy. This is my pet Xylon. Are you two the last members of our group?" Ichabod asked with a friendly tone. Getting an acknowledgment he introduced them to the rest of the group. Each of them forming an opinion about the two.

"That's Heather, Sidonia, Chui, and Maui. Their Acolytes like me. Which one of you belongs to our group?" Eunice raised her hand and told them her name. "That's a nice name. Very unique if you ask me."

"I think everyone's name is unique kid, especially yours. I assume it's an inner joke?" Wyatt stated in snarky tone. The others looked at him and he rolled his eyes. "I was trying to be funny. I'll work on my humor alright? I'm Wyatt. That's Leilani, Orlanda, Tino, Vitas. What's yours?" Uma told them her name and everyone said hello. Wyatt started to talk again. "By the way, does anyone know whose supposed to pick us up to take us to this camp?"

They all shrugged having no idea. That's when they heard a loud buzzing getting closer. Whipping their heads around, they saw the biggest gadfly ever coming their way. Several of the campers dove to get out of the way of the humming bird size insect. Nobody wanted to get stung by its six inch dagger like stinger. As it came back at them almost all of them covered themselves with their suitcases.

Heather was the only one who stood her ground. She didn't think this creature was a monster, but it was definitely hidden by the Mist as other travelers walked by the group muttering about crazy kids. Hmm, didn't the myths I read mention a gadfly being used twice? I got it. "Brize, please settle down. You're making us all nervous. Hera wouldn't like it if you sent one of her Champions home now would she?"

To the others astonishment, Brize quieted down and hovered before the group. She started buzzing as she counted everyone. Satisfied that all twelve were there she flew around them and headed out the airport with the kids in tow. She guided them to a shuttle bus that appeared normal to the average eye.

Now that they could see through the Mist, they realized the bus was a giant chariot being pulled by all kind birds. There was a huge strap with a large net attached to the back to carry their belongings to the camp. Climbing aboard the kids were in for another shock. There were seats for each of them with buckles. Once the kids were safely strapped in Brize took her place as the driver. With a single wave of her stinger the disguised chariot took off. Instantly a warm flame wrapped itself around the entire chariot providing protection and warmth.

* * *

"This is going to be one amazing ride. My parents would be going out of their minds in they could see this! I've never got to do something like this before. I wonder what else they got planned for us," Vitas exclaimed. He was so excited, but even more, he was confident he could keep up with these demigods they were going to meet. This was his chance to become the person he always wanted to be.

Tino reached into his jacket pocket. "I've got something for everyone. I asked my mom if she could make these patches for us." The patches had been sewn to look like their Goddesses symbol. They had Velcro on the back to help them stick to their clothing. "I don't know if the other campers where their parents symbol on their clothing, but I thought this would a nice way to show our pride and appreciation for our Goddesses."

Everyone agreed and said thank you. Orlanda had a little trouble finding a secure place for her patch. The others could tell she didn't want help so they didn't. Once she was done, she settled back in her seat and made sure her cane was still secured by her side. Her perception about the Mist was slightly different than the others. While still blind, she could magically perceive the shape and position of something in her mind, which the Mist was trying to hide, as long as she looked at it. Otherwise, she was still blind. It would take some time to adjust to this new "vision".

Thirty minutes later they were getting close to the entrance of the camp. The kids felt a strange tingling sensation as they drew closer. Each of them felt excitement and a bit of trepidation. No one knew what to expect when they passed through the barrier. All of them gasped as they saw the camp for the first time, the first mortals ever.

The bird drawn chariot flew over the camp to give them an aerial view. They flew past the Athena Parthenos as the dragon Peleus sniffed at them as passed by. They flew clockwise going over the strawberry fields and seeing the Big House. They skimmed past the Archery Field, the Southern Woods, and the Combat Arena.

When they saw the pegusi in their stables several girls let out sounds of affection. "Wow, their magnificent," Heather whispered in awe. The Long Island Sound was beautiful and the Dining Pavilion was intricately built.

"A lava climbing wall! Now that's something I want to try," Leilani stated, her eyes gleaming with adventure. Maui was pointing at the cabins below commenting how amazing they looked. Sidonia pointed out the Arts and Crafts building. She wondered if candle making was available. Iggy was trying to keep Xylon from breaking out of his crate and falling to the ground below.

At last the chariot landed just outside the Amphitheater. A large group of kids made a semi-circle around the chariot as the kids disembarked. Uma and Chui helped the younger children off the chariot. They formed an assembly line getting everyone luggage out. It took both Iggy and Tino to get Xylon's crate off the chariot. Once they were finished the birds nodded and Brize buzzed at them. Then the chariot flew off towards Olympus.

* * *

Tino felt like the new kid at school combined with the feeling he was the last to be picked in gym class. All eyes were on them as the demigods surveyed them. None of them wore anything that identified who their godly parents were. He could see that certain kids were grouped with others, who shared some physical traits. They must all share the same parent.

The beautiful kids had to be Aphrodite children giggling and whispering about them. Those angry looking kids with weapons probably came from Ares while the gray eyes ones definitely were children of Athena. Most of the kids did seem to come from the Twelve Olympians, but a few appeared to be from the minor gods. Those campers drew his attention.

There were a pair of twin girls fighting with one another on who should greet the new kids. One kid had a rainbow tattooed on him while another appeared very youthful and carried a Brazilian flag. It seemed each of the demigods didn't know what to make of them. No knew what to say.

Getting tired of all the staring and whispers Orlanda stepped forward, whipping off her sunglasses and thrust out her cane, surprising all the demigods assembled. No one expected someone with such a severe handicap to be part of these "mortal" campers. "Stop talking about us as if we're not here! It's unwelcoming, disrespectful and rude." Beside her, the eleven others, gave her looks of respect even if she couldn't see them.

Several kids took a step back wondering how such a little kid with a disability could be so intimidating. Especially one that was mostly mortal. "I know what you're all thinking. That this is some stunt by Hera and that she dragged Hestia in it, but that is not the case here! The twelve of us were chosen to not only carried out great deeds in their names, but also to show you there's another side to them. If you think just because we have a small blessing of power that we can't keep up then think again!"

Chui stepped forward, gesturing for his group to line up by him, youngest to oldest. "I am Chui Freeman, I'm the head Acolyte of Hestia's cabin. I was chosen as the best representative of Stately Order. Heather was chosen to represent Family while Ichabod, (nickname Iggy), and Sidonia represent Symbolism and Hearth in that order respectively." He pointed to each of them, who stood tall and with pride.

He watched as some of the larger more dangerous kids looking at his two youngest bunk mates. He could see them thinking of ways to torture Eunice and Maui. Remembering what Hestia told him about being a leader, he gave the Ares kids a death glare. "If any of you try to harm Eunice, (Domestic arts), or Maui (Architecture), you'll find yourself at the wrong end of my poker!" He was not joking.

The expression on the Ares cabin still looked ready to attack, but their body language had changed. A number of them respected Chui and his dedication to protect what was his in the face of danger. That was the mark of a true leader.

Uma was inspired by Chui taking several steps closer to the demigods. She removed her dupatta scarf to make herself look more intimating. Projecting her voice she said "I'm Uma Naballie, Champion of Marriage. I gladly serve my patron Goddess and will carry out deeds in her name. Wyatt, Leilani, Tino, Vitas, and Orlanda are Champions of Emotions, Womanhood, Motherhood, along with Heavens and Glory."

The demigods were starting to understand that these unusual new arrivals would not stand for anyone dismissing them or talking badly about their patron Goddesses. With the barest of a blessing of divine power, each of them wanted to be treated equally to them. Most of the campers started to wonder what would happen if they did cross the Acolytes and Champions.

The minor gods' children had been impressed by this display of unity. Butch liked that they had also had a symbol showing respect to who they served. Lou Ellen of the Hecate cabin, wondered if any of the girls would like to hang out with her. Clovis of Hypnosis had woken up just long enough to nod his approval of the twelve blessed mortals.

The sound of hoof beats came closer as the young demigods parted. Having been warned beforehand about who the director was, all twelve kids bowed showing their respect to Chiron. "You may rise children, we have much to talk about your stay here at Camp Half-Blood. The rest of you return your normal activities please. You'll meet them properly at dinner." All the demigods nodded and left, sparing glances behind them. "We'll continue this discussion in the Big House, please follow me."

* * *

The kids followed wordlessly as they dragged their luggage behind them. Xylon was itching to get out of his crate, but Iggy didn't feel comfortable letting his pet out until they were safely at their cabin, concerned that some of the campers would try to hunt him down. Chui was helping him push the crate while Wyatt and Vitas pulled it along on the grass. Finally they arrived at the Big House.

Seymour the Leopard head roared at them. The Ping Pong table had been pushed to the side to make room for their bags. The kids took seats on the couch except for Orlanda and Eunice who shared a chair. Chiron settled into his magical wheelchair as he contemplated how to address the blessed campers. There really wasn't an established welcome for blessed mortal campers.

"First, I am glad you to welcome you to Camp Half-Blood. You're the first mortals to have ever breached the barrier. When Hestia visited and explained her and Hera's plan I was shocked to say the least. I never expected Hera, let alone Hestia to take action like this," Chiron admitted. He explained how in the past Hera wasn't very fond of heroes, nor was Hestia involved with affairs outside her domain. Their recent actions puzzled the old teacher.

"Then maybe you don't know the goddesses as well as you think," Wyatt commented rolling his contact colored eyes. He slouched a bit in his seat examining his nails. "Hera's is more than just anger and jealousy. As the Champion of Emotions, specifically hers, I can tell you honestly, this isn't a trick. She really did this as a gesture of goodwill." The unspoken words about respect hung in the air.

"Hestia's hearth is here protecting the spirit of this camp. She merely wants people to remember how much her hearth does," Heather added quickly. Pausing for a second to brush her hair out of her face she added who better to be her Acolytes then mortals who had been doing it for years, unknowingly of course.

Chiron had to concede that the children had a point. When Hestia had visited and explained everything, including how these kids were picked, he had held back his doubts. Most of his doubts had been settled. "Very well then. We should move on to the orientation film. The demigod section won't be necessary. However I think you would find the history and the ways of the camp interesting."

Looking at one another, each kid pulled out crumbled brochures from their pockets and gave them to the centaur. Each one contained information about the camp/school stating that the letters CHB stood for Camp Humanity Building. The brochures explained everything a normal person would expect at an alternative school, but peering through the Mist the words changed mentioning the real truth.

"Hestia and Hera told us everything from the monsters to prophecies. They had to before letting us make the choice to accept their blessings. I spent an entire fifteen minutes before I agreed!" Maui exclaimed with excitement. He had almost said yes right away only to have his sister tell him he needed to think about the choice he was making.

His sister hushed him before asking about what their school portion would be along with their personal duties. As an afterthought she also asked about their activity schedule. Would they be interacting with other campers as equals? Did he plan any accommodations for them? That last question caused Orlanda to bristle a bit. Clearly she thought the last question was directed at her not the entire group.

"Here at Camp Blood we focus more on training then we do academics. There is a schooling portion for the year rounders' to keep them educated and we have classes to help anyone having trouble with Ancient Greek." Chiron explained. "That being said I would be a poor teacher if I failed to carry out the promises made to your parents."

"I have set up three hours of school for teaching all of you. You will come to the Big House after breakfast where lessons will commence. I'll have different satyrs come in to help me so each of you receive the level of education you need." Turning to Orlanda he promised that they had books in Braille for her because they couldn't use electronic readers.

She nodded saying that was what she expected and she had a Braille typewriter to write up reports. Her cane would help her get around. Chiron confirmed he put up braille signs on the different buildings and audio alarms to alert her if he got too close to dangerous areas, (like the landmines around Ares cabin). He also made accommodations for others to help them when training with demigods to ensure they didn't get mortally wounded. After all they couldn't eat or drink ambrosia and nectar. They would need old fashion care.

"After school, you'll join different activities each day until lunch. After lunch you'll continue with different activities, specifically combat training and learning how to forge weapons or items to help. You will have two hours before dinner to perform your duties assigned to you by your patrons. After dinner you will have free time to work on your homework, relax, I recommend interacting with the other campers. Before you go to bed you will do one last check on your duties before turning in for the night."

"An acceptable schedule. We can help on the weekends gathering the strawberries and maybe run the camp store. I wouldn't mind assisting you with some tasks Mr. Chiron," Eunice told him conveying how eager she was to help.

Chiron agreed that would be a great idea, but should wait until they were more settled. It was time to go to their cabins, though he admitted reluctantly that the kids would need to do a little work on their cabins to make them a home.

* * *

It was a lot more than a little work when they arrived at Hera's cabin. Most of the furniture was sitting outside not assembled, along with two sinks and toilets. Two partially cut windows needed to be finished. The outside looked like it hadn't been kept up. One of the doors was partially opened revealing a a large mess inside.

Hestia's cabin hadn't even been built! A foundation had been built a little to the side like Hestia resting on the floor of the Olympians. The supplies to finish building their cabins had been laid out for them. Stuck in the ground next to the foundation was the number 0. Xylon snorted in disbelief giving the centaur a stink eye.

"I apologize for the conditions of your cabins. Normally the cabins are designed by the children of the different gods and goddesses. Since your Hestia's Acolytes, we figured you would want to finish the cabin," Chiron explained sheepishly. He winced when he the six Acolytes gave him a look of disbelief. Did he really think that they could finish a cabin by the time night fell?

"Let me guess, the demigods were too afraid to complete the work on our cabin?" Wyatt stated surveying the partial work that had been done. When Chiron didn't respond he knew it was true. "Well looks like we'll be working until dinner time to finish. Maybe we'll have to work through the night. Anyone pack a lunch?"

Tino nodded pulling out a bag of sandwiches his mom made. "I'm also pretty handy when it comes to plumbing. Couldn't afford a plumber so I had to learn to fix the pipes back home." Maui mentioned he could make a model for his group to work from to build their cabin.

Chiron nodded and said if they needed any help don't hesitate to ask the other campers for help. He then left to check up on the other campers. The twelve of them ate their sandwiches in silence and sipped some bottle water. Once finished they needed to come up with a plan.

Uma and Chui were the head counselors so it was up to them to lead this project. They talked among themselves for a few minutes before Uma spoke to her group first. "Alright, clearly Hestia's cabin needs a lot of work, so we need to complete the renovations on Hera's cabin as quickly and safely as possible, so we can assist them. Before we proceed, Orlanda do you…."

The eleven year old cut in. "I don't need to be pitied. I can handle any job you give me. I won't be stuck on cleaning duty!" She sensed that Uma was looking at her in exasperation. Maybe she had jumped the gun too soon. "Sorry, I shouldn't have interrupted."

"Apology accepted. I was going to ask if you knew how to handle tools, construction, and safety for a blind worker." The preteen nodded mentioning she had taken the beginners class last year. She could finish the windows, if she had help with the glass.

"Okay then, Vitas you're on cleanup duty. I want this whole place to sparkle inside and out. Tino, you already volunteered to finish the plumping. Leilani we'll need more décor items. Mirrors, curtains, and braziers, etc. to make this place a home." The kids nodded heading to their jobs.

Without asking Wyatt went to put together the furniture and promised to make personalized plaques for everyone's bed. "I can be a gopher if you need me to be. I'm use to it from my grandparents."

Uma thanked him and went to work on cleaning Hera's statute and working on alter for their patron. There were a million other little things that had to be done and she hoped that the renovations would be completed by lights out. Sleeping on a cold floor was not on her list of things to do her first night here.

It took only a half an hour for Maui to finish his model for the cabin and label what the group needed to do first and how the inside should look. His plan called for a simple cabin, reminiscent of the traditional homes in Hawaii, but with Greek style posts, bathroom, and pit for the ashes to be put in.

"We'll need to add a pig door, ramp and fenced area for Xylon to run around in. I can built him an outdoor pen, but he's use to staying inside with me," Iggy pointed out to the group.

"We'll build both for him and make sure the locks are strong. We don't want any of the other campers or monsters to get to him," Heather stated. She had started to organize the materials with Eunice so they could start building. Sidonia got to work on building the central hearth and setting up a small altar for Hestia. Chui and Maui were ready to start building the frame of the building.

Two and half hours past rather quickly. The Champions and Acolytes had made a lot of progress. The frame for Hestia's cabin had finished being built and they had fenced off a small area. The hearth was nearly finished. However they still had a lot to do; such making a floor and roof, constructing a bathroom, not to mention getting furniture in, decorations for the wall, and sewing their Acolyte garb.

Hera's cabin was about the same stage of the others. Orlanda was having trouble finishing the windows due to the cabin mostly being made of marble. Wyatt was halfway done assembling the furniture as he had to make adjustments for each bed. Leilani was on the roof cleaning it and soon discovered a small skylight that needed be washed. Vitas stood at the bottom of the later passing up supplies. Tino was almost done with the first toilet and he looked exhausted. Uma had finished cleaning the statue only to sink to the floor trying to catch her breath.

"There's no way we can finish these by lights out. Without more help, it will take a whole week to finish with everything. We need more help." Uma muttered to herself. There was a knock on the door. Looking up, she was surprised to see the twin girls she had seen arguing earlier waiting there anxiously. They looked ready to explode if she didn't acknowledge them. "Hello, I'm Uma Naballie. Head of the Hera cabin. You two are?"

"Only the best twin demigods because our mom is Nike, the Goddess of Victory! I'm Holly Victor and this is Laurel," the twins spoke in unison leaving the head counselor confused. "We were taking a jog and saw you and the other cabin in competition! We wanted to know if we could help!"

Uma started to say they weren't in a competition only to have Tino interrupt. "That's right, its Champions vs Acolytes. Whoever finishes first gets to eat first at dinner!" He tilted his head catching Uma's eyes. He was telling her to trust him and she blinked in understanding.

"Goody! I'll help out here, Laurel you can work with the Acolytes. They'll need you if you want any chance of winning."

"Bring it on sister!"

Hearing the commotion Heather came over. Hearing the argument she got a good idea. "Having a demigod like you Laurel would help is victory. Still you're just one demigod each."

"You think I can't help you win? I'm all about winning."

Heather agreed she was. Then she said wouldn't be more fun if they had more campers helping. "It can be a big family activity. Whichever demigods helps us finish first, then they can get the best food at dinner."

The twins nodded and ran in different directions to gather their own teams. Tino and Heather did a high five for tricking the girls into getting them help to finish their, without having to beg for help. One point for blessed mortals and zero for the demigods.

Pretty soon the sound of construction and talking could be heard. The lesser gods and goddess kids helped Hestia along with members from Demeter, Athena, and Aphrodite. Not all of them were skilled in building, but they made up for it with determination and a good eye for detail.

Apollo, Hephaestus, and Ares campers helped out at Hera, showing no fear at working at the most dangerous goddess's cabin. Hermes had had split in half to help both of them out. As the groups worked together, slowly the demigods forgot the newcomers were mere mortals and saw them as friends. Watching from the Big House Chiron smiled. He had hoped that something like this would happen.

* * *

Forty minutes before dinner, the cabins announced a tie. Hera's cabin was glowing after a being cleaned up and given a new coat of a paint. Two huge windows let light into the cabin. The skylight let sunlight shower down on the statue, who now had a nicer expression on its face. The altar was filled with symbols and little statues from Hindu mythology. The bathroom was complete, with two sinks, showers, and toilets with a small divider between the two.

Large plushy couches were set up in the back as six beds had been set up with plaques on the end of the beds with two shelves above the bed for personal stuff. There were even closets and cases for clothes and trophies. With the new lighting system it felt like a home.

Hestia's cabin was nice and cozy. Wood floors and open windows. The roof was made from plant material magically protected to not catch fire as smoke from the central hearth billowed out. A wooden porch with stone steps and plank ramp wrapped around the front. Xylon's outdoor shelter looked amazing. Pretty decorations dotted the interior and the beds had simple linen sheets. A statue of Hestia stood on the mantel above the heart with a wardrobe filled with Acolyte garb and trunk to keep their supplies in. Everyone had finished putting away their stuff. Now here was a place worthy of the Acolytes of Hestia to live in.

"Thank you everyone for your help. There's no way we could have finished without your amazing talents," Chui told each of them. He kept his eyes steady, stood straight, and kept his expression a mix between neutral and grateful.

The demigods laughed good-naturedly and high fived each other. Many complimented themselves talking about how amazing they really were. A few members of the different cabins gave compliments out to the blessed mortals. Athena's cabin was impressed by Maui's talent, comparing him to Annabeth, the most famous daughter of the cabin.

Heather and Vitas blushed as the twins praised how much fun the completion had been. Eunice was exchanging words with Butch and Sidonia was asking any members of Aphrodite if they knew any tricks for making personalized scented candles. Iggy was answering a few questions from members of Hermes as Xylon tried to get the snacks out of their clothes. Leilani had gained some attention from Ares as Orlanda tested her new "vision" as Hecate kids performed magic in front of her. Uma relaxed with the Hypnosis cabin. Wyatt was off to the side having a private conversation with Will Solace and Nico de Angelo.

A horn echoed across the camp alerting everyone that dinner would be served in fifteen minutes. Everyone scattered back to their cabins to clean up for dinner. The newest campers went to change into clean clothes and grab some accessories. All that work had made them sweaty and hungry.

Two new tables had been set up in the dinning pavilion. Everyone else had already gotten their meals and given sacrifices to the gods. Everyone was staring at the entrance waiting impatiently for the new cabins to come in. A few minutes later Uma and Chui entered escorting their younger members. Hera's Champions' wore polos (raised crowns), with a peacock jewel on the front. Hestia's Acolytes' wore white shawls with veiled hoods pulled up over their heads. Each one of them carried a small branch with them.

The Champions gathered their food and headed to the fire to make a sacrifice. Before they did, all six of them started speaking out loud with praise to their patron. "Queen of the Heavens, Goddesses of Woman, Marriage, and Glory. May our praises grant you peace and happiness that you long for. Your Champions live to carry out deeds in your name." After they finished they sacrificed some of their meal they silently walked over to their seats before looking at the Acolytes.

Hestia Acolytes threw their branches into the fire making it roar with life as it grew hotter and taller. In unison they said their own prayer. "Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, we offer you these branches, so your sacred fire, that protects and warms us all, never goes out. As your Acolytes, we swear in your name to tend to it always." Only then did they get their meal, sacrifice, and sit down.

The curious stares were redirected as Chiron cleared his throat. "Today marks a change in Camp Half-Blood history. Two of our sacred goddesses have sent these blessed mortals to our home in a gesture of goodwill. I was pleased that you welcomed and aid them, as you would any newcomer. While they are mostly mortals they are to be treated with respect and kindness."

The campers nodded and raised their glasses in a toast, promising that they would treat them like everyone else. A shiver went down the spines of the twelve kids as they sensed that "normal" here would end up backfiring on them some day. After a few more announcements everyone settled into the evening meal content at the moment.

* * *

By the time curfew rolled around the newcomers were overcome with not only exhaustion, but jet lag as well, especially Leilani and Maui considering they had longest flight to get here. Even Wyatt, whose flight had only been an hour and nine minutes, without crossing and time zones, was beat.

In Hestia's cabin Chui was helping his bunk mates prepare for bed. "Maui, go brush your teeth please. Eunice could you make sure he does?"

The twelve year old nodded guiding the pouty eleven year old into the bathroom. Nodding, Chui turned his attention to Iggy, "Iggy, could you please take Xylon out for a final bathroom break before settling him down for the night?"

"No problem Chui. Come on Xylon, let's have one last run." Xylon grunted as two of them headed out of the cabin. A few seconds later you could hear the two jogging around the fenced in yard.

Sidonia had finished containing the fire for the night. She let it run low so it gave off a bit of warmth and wouldn't get out of control during the night. Nearby Heather had finished hanging up the shawls and sweeping up the little bits of leaves from the branches, tossing them into a nearby garbage can.

Heather turned to Chui to remind him that tomorrow they had to contact their parents and let them know they arrived safely. That would be difficult for them to do. Being mostly mortal they could still use phones and electronics safely without drawing a monsters attention. That didn't mean they should risk the others safety by contacting their loved ones.

"I'll talk to Chiron tomorrow, maybe he has an idea of how we can communicate with our families. Right now it's bed time. Lights out everyone. Have a good night's sleep." As soon as everyone was settled under their covers he blew out the candles before slipping into his bed quickly falling asleep.

In Hera's cabin, Uma was doing a final check on her bunk mates before going to bed. She pulled the covers over Orlanda before moving on to the next bed.

Leilani was half sprawled out of her bed. Adjusting her so she didn't fall flat on her face in the middle of the night, she turned towards the boys. Vitas was already asleep and Tino had kicked off his covers. Picking them up, she placed them over the boy before turning her attention to Wyatt. He had taken his contacts out and she wondered what his real eye color was. She wished she could just flip open his eyes, but that would be rude.

Turning to the altar she started praying. "Thank you great Hera for this wonderful opportunity. I will do my best to be a champion worthy of you. With your blessing and the guidance of my own gods, there is nothing I can't achieve."

As soon as she finished, she sensed someone looking at her with pride. Giving her thanks, she turned out the lights and got into bed. Day one had been exhausting. She wondered what the rest of the school year would be like.


	3. The Acolytes

Three weeks had passed since the new arrivals had come to stay at Camp Half-Blood. A few days after their arrival a majority of the campers left for home or colleges around the USA. Fearing the risks of mortals using cell phones inside the camp, Chiron had arranged Skype calls back home at different intervals to reduce the chances of being found by monsters. It had taken a day and a half to contact everyone safely.

Reassuring their families that they arrived safely and were already making friends eased their families' worry. They had all been surprised to learn that the school most of the time was a dead zone due to unusual circumstances. It felt very uncomfortable for them to not be in constant contact with their children. Each of the kids had to promise they would write lots of letters and would give them a call anytime they were out of the dead zone. By promising to keep in touch the crises had been averted.

So far everything had been running smoothly at the camp. The twelve normal kids were slowly making friends with the year-rounders'. They also worked hard to get up to speed with all the different training and activities sessions. They tackled their duties head on. Most importantly, they cared about their school work. It was now the two hour duty window for the Acolytes and Champions to take care of their responsibilities. Most of them were carrying them out except for one. Maui was in his cabin working on his latest model, an exact replica of the dinning pavilion. He carefully put a tiny amount of glue on the last column when the door slammed opened. "MAUI!"

The piece slipped out of his hands and fell to the floor sticking to it. The model shook, but didn't fall over. The eleven year old threw his hands up in the air and looked to see who had disturbed him. He shrunk back when he saw it was his sister and Chui. "Oh hi." Leilani put her hands on her hips giving him one of her patent big sister looks. He cringed knowing that she was upset by something. "Yes, Royal Sister?" he asked in an endearing tone.

Leilani rolled her eyes and told him point blank that using her nickname was not going to get him out of this. "Maui, I know you love this place. I want to be out there doing all the activities, but school comes first remember? You should be studying for you placement math quiz." She walked over to his shelf and handed him the book.

Chiron was a tough teacher giving very detailed lessons and expected them to diligently take thorough notes. So far they had just been doing review of what they had learned to help determine what age group his satyr friends; Jake, Marco, and Tobias, should be teaching more individualized lessons to. Tomorrow was a quiz in math to help finalize that lesson plan for the age groups. She didn't want her brother to fail such an important subject to help him achieve his dreams.

"Leilani I have time to do it later. We only get so much free time. I was hoping to try cannoning after I finished this," Maui protested gesturing to his model. With careful hands he placed it back on his shelf. He was so curious and wanted to try as many new things as possible. It always got in the way of him sitting still long enough to study.

"Maui, have your forgotten that today your duty is being responsible for cleaning up the ashes from Hestia's Hearth? We need those ashes so we can separate them into the different containers for the ten different uses," Chui reminded the boy. It was an important Acolyte duty when it came to re-purposing the sacred ashes for helpful things around the camp.

Maui sighed, he knew he should be doing his duty as an Acolyte, but at the same time he was bursting with energy. There was so much to see and do. Still, he had agreed to carry out his patron goddess's duties. Getting off his bed, he put on his shawl and hood, picked up the cleaning tools and headed out the door. Arriving in the central green, he walked over to Hestia's Hearth. Not many people were around, the rest of the year-rounders' were off doing activities or spending free time with others. Kneeling a bit he started sweeping up the ashes on the ground humming to himself. There was something peaceful about doing his duty and he was determined to do it right.

Maui was halfway through his job when he heard the sounds of a little kid running towards him, accompanied by the sound of whizzing blades. He jumped back just in time because Harley tripped and his chainsaw Frisbee flew out of his hands and started trimming the tops of the roofs. The Frisbee came back towards the two boys. He gathered a handful of ashes and when the crazy device was about a foot from him, he tossed the ashes. As he hoped, they clogged up the device's navigation sensors. It started falling towards the ground.

The eleven year old used his broom like a bat and hit the chainsaw device into the fire. It caused a huge pillar of fire to rise up and spread causing a huge mushroom cloud of smoke. Ashes started to fall from the sky getting on everything. "This is just great, now I have more work to do."

"Sorry about that. I was just excited to show off my newest invention to you. I wanted to see how clever I was at creating a death trap toy!" the eight year old chatted at high speeds. He was the equivalent of an automaton running on sugar. That was usually okay with Maui when he had free time. It wasn't okay when he was halfway done with his job and had to start over.

"Maybe you shouldn't turn toys into death traps," Maui suggested shivering at the thought of losing his hand. The little boy was hopping up and down pleading with him to come help him with some models for his next invention. "Sorry Harley, but I have responsibilities to take care off. Maybe tomorrow. I have a quiz to study for." The buff eight year old whined upon hearing that and walked away grumbling about how boring school was.

The next day after breakfast Maui went over to Hephaestus table. Nyssa and Harley looked up at the Acolyte who was carrying two big boxes. The little boy pouted and turned away from Maui. "What are you doing over here? Don't you have _school_ to get too?"

"Little brother stop being so rude. We've got our own academics later today," Nyssa scolded the little boy. Wiping some grease off her face, she smiled at Maui. "You brought us a gift Maui? How very generous of you."

The boy shrugged. "It's both the Aloha and Hestia spirit thing to do. I wanted to show Harley here why my job is so important." Opening the boxes he tipped them so they could several freshly made bars of soaps. "One of the things ashes can be used for is to help make soap for our fellow campers."

With the eight year old stunned; Nyssa thanked Maui for his kind gift. They had been running seriously low on soap to clean up after a hard day's work on their projects. With a clever smile, the Hawaiian boy bounced his way towards the Big House to ace his placement test.

* * *

It was Sunday morning and Eunice was having a wonderful time cleaning the Big House from top to bottom. The attic needed a lot of work considering how much dust had accumulated up there. It had taken three go-arounds with different air freshener sprays to get rid of the rotting corpse smell. She opened a window to get some fresh air moving in the room.

She started polishing some of the old trophies before placing them back in their cases, when a flare up of pain spread throughout her body. She tried to stay standing, but the flare up was too much. She fell to the floor making a loud thud. She tried to get back up, but the flare up was getting worse. "Why am I feeling a flare up now?" she whispered before she passed out.

She didn't know how long she was out, but when she woke up she was in the infirmary and lying on an exam table. Her pants had been rolled up revealing her scared thighs and knees. Her shirt had been pulled up revealing the scars on her lower abdomen. Will Solace, Nico de Angelo, and Chiron stood nearby talking privately with each other ignoring her. "So, is it normal to be talking with one another instead of the patient?" Eunice asked with a satire tone, not her normal calm one.

The guys jumped, literally as Chiron's hoofs smashed the floor a bit. They all looked at her sheepishly. They had been too busy talking to notice the subject of the conversation had awaken. "Eunice, glad to see you awake. Chiron heard you crash to the attic floor. Nico helped me get you here. How are you feeling?"

"Better, thank you." The girl played with her braids biting her lips. Will stopped his approach sensing she didn't want him any closer. Eunice could tell they wanted an explanation about her old injuries. She really didn't want to talk about her scars. The circumstances of how she obtained them, was very personal.

The head of the Apollo cabin nodded and asked if he could give her an exam now that she was awake. She nodded and gave her consent. She waited patiently answering any questions. Looking up at the immortal centaur, she had no doubt he knew what kind of scars these were and how she obtained them considering he was her temporary guardian. Her caseworker back home had to jump through a lot of legal hoops to allow her to come here for at least the school year.

"Find anything interesting Mr. de Angelo?" Eunice asked in a sharp and warily tone, causing the older boy to step back a bit. She had been talking with Austin of the Apollo cabin the other day and he mentioned Will's boyfriend could see death auras. A creepy yet useful talent. Maybe Nico used that talent to help Will figure out which patients needed help first.

Will finished his exam saying that she appeared to be perfectly fine. To avoid another flare up she needed to take it easy for a day or two. He went over to the pharmacy and pulled out some cream the dryads had made. They all swore it kept pain from coming back after an injury. Hesitating he asked, how often did she get a flare up from her scars.

"Not often, it's been about six or seven months from my last attack. My scars don't usually act up because the surgeons put my insides back together so well. I've been so happy since arriving here, I didn't think a flare up would be possible," she admitted looking away. Another flare up could happen anytime this school year. She really didn't want to end up back in the infirmary. Eunice especially didn't want to go back to Billings Montana Foster Kids Group Home. "Do I get patient doctor privilege here?"

"Anything you say is confidential child. No one has to know about your past injuries unless you tell them about it. I assume you haven't explained them fully to the members of your cabin, but they must have seen them when you share the communal baths inside correct?" The centaur really was wise she thought. Sure Heather and Sidonia have seen them, but they hadn't questioned her. They simply stated whenever she was comfortable about it, they would be ready to listen.

A familiar warmth spread through her body, the warmth of a protective fire that came from Hestia's blessing. The goddess believed in her and shown that it was okay to trust again. Undoubtedly she was reassuring Eunice it was okay to talk about the past. No one here in CHB would ever leave her behind because of her past as so many foster parents had. "My scars are the result of the events that led me to being in the foster care system. My family was normal, we did things that other families did, and we loved each other. Than a few days before my sixth birthday it all fell apart."

Looking directly at the trio she explained how it was a normal day with her family until right before dinner. She had been playing with her toys in the living room, when she heard her mom screaming in the kitchen. Scared, she had run to see what wrong. To her horror; her father was trying to stab her mother to death. Seeing Eunice, he threw his wife away and come at her, only for his wife to dive in front of her daughter protecting her from him. Her mother sacrificed her life giving Eunice the extra minutes she needed to call for the police. When they got there, she was struggling to get up as he aimed to stab her in the heart. Another few minutes and she would have be dead.

"I was taken to the hospital to have surgery to close my wounds and repair any damaged the stabbings might have caused. Since I had no immediate or extended family I was placed in foster care. None of my mom's friends volunteered to take me in. They cited all sorts of reasons, but the main one was they were afraid of me."

Will eyes widened upon hearing that. "Why would they be scared of you? You didn't attack anyone, you were the victim."

"That's not good enough when the police and the experts couldn't find a reason for my father did what he did. All they could determine is that he went into a psychotic break. Didn't help him at his trial, he's serving life in a state penitentiary back in Montana. It was big news back home and a lot of the foster families thought I would just snap like my father and kill someone."

It was a tough life for a six year old. Eunice was never kept up with what was going on or why people treated her as if she was a monster. No family kept her longer than a month before giving her back. Every single time she hadn't done anything wrong. Eunice believed that making sure other people super happy by doing things for them would make them like her more, not less.

She ended up in the group home when she was ten because she had been labeled a "problem" case. That life style taught her to be practical and wary of others. Still she remained hopeful. She started helping out others not only as a way to deal with pain, but show the staff she wasn't dangerous. "I guess I thought that if I proved I was helpful that some staff member would foster me and eventually adopt me. That didn't happen."

The two demigods were still processing this new information as Chiron helped the girl off the exam table after she fixed her clothes. "Well now you know why I get flare ups from my surgical scars. Thanks for the help, I've got to get back to my cabin. Bye!" Eunice ran out of the infirmary holding back tears. She really hoped no one else learned the story behind her scars.

In the middle of the night, Eunice woke by a noise coming from the door. A light tapping. Putting on her slippers, she tiptoed to the door making sure when she opened it, it didn't make any noise. On the porch was a small basket of scar cream to reduce the appearance of scars and a few body pads to wear during training. Taking the basket back to her bed she read the note attached.

 _A gift from the Apollo cabin and Hades, to help ensure you have a great life here at Camp Half-Blood."_ Smiling to herself, she pushed the basket under her bed and went to sleep.

* * *

Wednesday was Sidonia's favorite day of the week. After lunch instead of heading to combat training first, Hestia's cabin went to arts and crafts. To Sidonia's delight, candle making was an activity. There was a strong demand for them due to the demigods having to be careful around electrical objects. At the moment though she was keeping her end of a bargain she made.

"Hold still! How am I supposed to make adjustments if you keep squirming so much?" Valentina Diaz, daughter of Aphrodite, clucked at the thirteen year old. In order to get access to the many ingredients Sidonia needed to produce scents for her candles, she had agreed to be the dress dummy/model for Valentina's designs. Sidonia felt she got the worst end of the duty. She was happy to get the materials she needed, but she was shy and didn't like being on display much.

"Hmm, that scarf doesn't really match your skin. Maybe instead of red, we should try yellow perhaps?" Valentina thought as she looked over Sidonia. The designer in her wanted to make this girl over. "How do you feel about if we bedazzled your glasses? A little more shine to them will make you stand out!"

"Um, I rea…lly don't like stand…ing out," Sidonia stammered. She turned her head. The wax she had been melting on the fire, was nearly ready for scents. "I really need to go add the scents now before I put the wax in the molds to create the candles."

Valentina muttered something about ruining the flow of inspiration, but allowed the girl to get down from her pedestal. Sidonia quickly took off the scarf, hat, and jacket she had been wearing. "Alright, the color looks great doesn't it?"

"Pink is my favorite color, my mom loves any color is the world. Are you sure you can make the perfect scent for my mom and my other Aphrodite siblings Silverstein?" Opening her make up kit, she started passing the essential oils of rose, grape, and apples. She also had a single dove feather, a small aquamarine gemstone, and finally some cookie cutters in the shape of number five.

"Absolutely, I just have to measure these ingredients right. I hope to make personal scents for everyone's godly parent," Sidonia chimed. It was a huge challenge that Hestia gave her, but she was determined to bring a little bit of the demigods parents into the cabins. She blew her red bangs out of her face before turning her attention back to melted wax.

Concentrating hard, she drip dropped the plant oils into the wax, careful to avoid getting any of it on herself. Next, with gloved hands, she pounded together the feather and the gemstone to powder before adding it to the wax. Once it was fully mixed together, she removed the wax from the fire and poured it into the molds she had set up. Attaching the cookie cutters to the upper part of the mold, she closed them up tight and set them in a cooling spot to form over the next four hours.

Now that was finished it was back to being a dressmaker's dummy. The older teen snatched up Sidonia's glasses asking the other teen to sit down while she bedazzled them. "I know a lot of other demigods don't understand the point of looking good in our downtime, but I thought one you new girls would at least enjoy a little make over, you know stand out from the crowd."

Sidonia squirmed again, trying to hide under the table. It was just easier to talk with her cabin mates or the Champions because all of them were in this together. Hanging out with the demigods or trying to speak up during lessons/activities was turning into a nightmare.

Valentina was going on about how a layered haircut and a bit of makeup would bring out her inner beauty when she paused for a second and looked at the girl in front of her. Sidonia was halfway under the table. Turning her own head upside down she observed the thirteen year old looking ready to bolt. Maybe she needed to use a different approach.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be pushy and self-centered. I inherited some of my mom's best and worst traits," the beautiful girl admitted. She thought about her own family back home. Her father and stepmother worked in the fashion industry. He was a photographer for a fashion magazine and her stepmom was a model. For a time so had Valentina, until the monsters came after her and she had to spend her life at the camp.

Sidonia squirmed back up on to her seat and took back her new bedazzled glasses. Oh well, at least it was a small thing. "I forgive you Valentina. Is…there…something…else we ca ca can talk about?"

Valentina asked what it was like growing up in a big Jewish family in Portland Oregon. For two whole minutes Valentina thought she wouldn't get an answer when Sidonia spoke quietly. "Difficult at times. My family practices Conserved Judaism."

Sidonia explained some of the customs. Ethical law was unchanging, but ritual laws could be altered to fit in with modern times. They believed that the Torah should not be interpreted literally and allow for discussion and opinions of the different texts. That women and men sat together in the synagogue instead of apart.

"I had my Bat Mitzvah when I was twelve, meaning I'm an adult in the community. I'm held responsible for my own actions and must participate in all aspects of Jewish tradition." She blew her bangs out of her hair again and was quiet for a few moments. There was one tradition that she had mixed feelings about. "I have to stay away from others during my menstrual cycle as I perform the _mikvah_ , a ritual cleansing. I volunteer to help beautify the house of worship. I can study higher education if I want, but I must observe all customs when I'm away. Some parts of it are harder than others."

Sidonia's eldest brother was being groomed to take over the family business which is why he was getting a business degree. Her second older brother was in his first year and planned to become a soufer, a writer of the Torah. Her younger sisters had more freedom and got spoiled. As the middle child, it was expected of her to take care of her younger siblings and assist her brothers to ensure their success. Her parents wanted her to take over her mother's job when her older brother took ownership of the business. It wasn't what she wanted to do with her life, but tradition came first.

It wasn't that her family didn't love her, but as the middle child and the oldest daughter, she had to fulfill a lot of expectations. It was a bit much for a girl who was shy and didn't really want to be the center of attention. Her dyed bangs was the farthest she had gone to step into the spotlight to show she was an individual and not just there as a convenient babysitter or helper. "Thanks for listening Valentina."

"No worries Sidonia. I think we can become good friends. I still say while you're here you can look a bit more styled as you make candles." The thirteen year old laughed and said maybe one day she would.

* * *

Two days later, Iggy woke up from his impromptu nap stretching and yawning loudly. He blinked his two different colored eyes a few times then looked around for his pet. "Xylon, where are you? Xylon come here boy." He whistled for him. Looking around he didn't see his pet anywhere.

He went outside to see if his pet had gone out to exercise or sleep in his outdoor enclosure, but he wasn't in the fenced off yard. Now Iggy was getting a little worried for his pinto colored friend. Where did he go? It wasn't like Xylon to go too far from him. That's when he saw the destroyed section of the fence. It looked as if a crazed maniac had gone overboard cutting the fence apart. Judging by the hooved drag marks and torn up grass, Xylon had fought hard before being captured. "They didn't! Oh I'm going to tan their hides if they harmed Xylon in any way!"

Ten minutes later Iggy was standing just outside the perimeter of the Ares cabin. He was carrying his backpack and had Xylon's leash in his left hand. In his pockets he had a few treats. "Sherman, Ellis, give me back my pet now!" In response he got shot at with a javelin launcher. Despite the heavy pack he managed to get out of the way.

"I don't want to fight, I just want my pet back. Xylon is not a boar, he's a barrow, (neutered male), so he can't be your mascot," the boy calmly spoke. Again he got shot at with the javelin launcher and had to move. Ares boys kept trying to push him back, but he kept getting closer until he was directly at barbed wire fence. "I'm not leaving without my pet. If you continue to keep him as a hostage, I'll get Chiron and the harpies involved."

Upon hearing that, Sherman Yang, the head of the Ares cabin, came out with a wicked grin on his face, brandishing a Celestial bronze sword. Swaggering over to the fence he waved the weapons inches from Iggy's face. "Are you threatening me _mortal?_ What's the matter _Ichabod,_ can't fight your own battles?"

Sherman laughed cruelly at the boy, continuing to mock him. "You're skinny lightweight, I could toss you ten feet if I wanted to ginger. You think if you stare at me long enough I'll be intimidated by your mismatched eyes? Ha!"

Iggy kept his calm composure not reacting at all to the taunts. "Don't underestimate me, just because I don't have a weapon on me. Now, please tell Ellis to release Xylon or you're going to regret kidnapping him in the first place."

Sherman turned his head back to his bunk mate. Ellis stood in the doorway yanking the chained leash around the pot belly pig's neck causing him to squeal a bit. He already had a few cuts on his skin from being kidnapped. Both boys looked at their prize then to Iggy. "You want him back? Come and get him."

"Okay. Xylon sit!" Immediately the 130 pound fourteen inches tall pig backed up his big rump and sat down on Ellis causing the boy to start screaming about the weight on his feet. "Xylon come!" The pet pig got off the boy and started heading back towards his alpha/owner.

Sherman turned, ready to stop the pet from leaving, when he was hit upside the head with, "The Complete Anthology of Ernest Hemmingway's Stories" crumbling to the ground. Xylon walked right over him and looked at Iggy waiting for his next command. "Good boy Xylon, now dig under the fence and I'll give you a treat."

Grunting in glee, Xylon started to root under the fence, dirt flying. In a short time he dug under the barbed wire and was sniffing Iggy for treats. His alpha rewarded him with some tasty fruits. He stood still as the metal chock collar was removed and his nice soft purple collar and leash was put back on. With a gentle tug the pot belly pig followed his owner on a long walk around the camp, stopping at the infirmary to treat his cuts.

A few hours later, Chui came by the cabin to see how his bunk mate and his pet/mascot, were doing. The fence had been fixed and the outdoor enclosure had been cleaned up with new bedding. Stepping inside, he had to smile at the sight of Iggy checking Xylon over for any additional cuts or ticks he might have picked up.

"Rough day?"

"Nothing either of us couldn't handle. He was mostly stressed out. It took a while for him to calm down. Hopefully those Ares idiots have learned their lesson. Never try to take a fully trained pig." Xylon grunted in agreement leaning towards his master and butted his head against Iggy's. "Okay, that's enough Xylon. Let me exam your hoofs okay?"

Chui was impressed with how obedient Xylon was. "I've never had a pet before. Are PBPs hard to take care of? What's it like to have one as a pet? How long have you had him for?"

"They can be, you need to be just the right person and willing to handle the challenges that come with training a smart animal like him. I got Xylon when I was ten as my birthday present. I had to prove six months beforehand that I was committed to having this pet."

He pointed to his shelf where a book on caring for pet pigs stood. Chui picked it up and started flipping through the pages, eager to learn more about his fellow Acolyte's pet. There was a lot of information to make sure pigs lived a healthy and long life.

There was information about how to train PBPs to use a litter box, walk on a leash, and curb their aggressiveness. You needed a yard for the pet to run around in a get plenty of exercise. How often they needed to have their hooves trimmed, vaccinations, and taking care of their skin. There were tips on what to feed the animal, how often they should get treats. The life expectancy of the PBPs was fifteen years with proper care.

"Seems to me we'll be enjoying the company of Xylon for a long time. Don't worry about Sherman and Ellis. I told Chiron about the incident. He promised if they did a stunt like this again, he'll sentence them to two months of being tutored by you in literature." All the boys laughed at that once again happy.

* * *

It was Tuesday morning and school had just let out for the Acolytes and Champions. It was time for the Hestia cabin to head to their morning activity. Today's activity was working at the the pegusi stables. They would have to take care of them, exercise them and getting use to them pulling chariots, either on the ground or in the air. Hopefully, they would soon get to ride one in the air.

Heather was glad she remembered to wear her old clothes today. The pegusi went to the bathroom often. She had just finished tying her hair up when Connor Stoll, Julia Feingold, and Alice Miyazawa arrived. Their half-brother Cecil was having his own private school session with the satyrs to help him catch up with his science and history classes. Connor was in charge of the activity. With that grin on his face and his half-sisters giggling between each other, she wondered how the activity would proceed.

"Alright, it's time to have some fun. These pegusi haven't had any decent fly time so far this week. Today we're going to take them on a flight around camp. I hope you've been paying close attention to my instructions, otherwise you might just fall off, ha ha ha."

"It would be so funny if you six landed in the trees," Julia laughed.

"No, it would be funnier if they landed in poop pile!" Alice cackled.

Upon hearing that Eunice and Sidonia clutched their hands together. Maui was jumping up and down, to excited to be bothered by their joking. Iggy rolled his eyes as Chui stared down the two girls to make them stop giggling. Heather kept paying attention to Connor wondering when he was going to get back to the activity.

"Alright, okay, I guess that's enough laughs for now. Seriously, you need to be careful. Riding a flying horse is a bit different then riding them on the ground. You'll need to use different signals to keep them under control."

Behind him the pegusi snorted and spit at him. They didn't like it when someone tried to keep them under control. A lovely bay colored mare was kicking at her door, expressing her desire to fly already. The others started doing the same tired of being in their stalls. Connor told the pegusi to calm down. He opened the stall doors one by one until nine pegusi were standing in the corral. "Alright, who remembers how to get the tack on a pegusi?"

Heather raised her hand. Connor gestured for her to get to it. Picking up the saddle and bridal she slowly approached the bay mare, whose name was Zoe. Both the mare and teenager kept their eyes locked on each other. Neither one moved until Heather spoke. "Hi Zoe. Can I fly with you today? I've never done it before and I know you can show me how it's done."

Zoe nodded her head and gave out a positive neigh, indicating that Heather could get closer. The fifteen year old stood next to the mare and checked her over completely to make sure she was in perfect condition to fly and the tack wouldn't hurt the animal. A short time later she was up on the pegusi waiting for everyone else.

Connor whistled in surprise. "Zoe's very particular, I've never seen her let someone get on her so quickly. I swear you must have done this before."

"My family would go out to the stables near a state park on the weekends to ride. My mom always told me being kind and gentle will make you a good friend." Heather waited patiently while everyone got on their pegusi. Connor started giving them instructions on how to tell the pegusi where to go when they flew.

"Be careful, you need to use the right amount of pressure under wing joint in combination with pulling the reins in the direction of where you want to go. Keep a firm balance and use a strong clear voice to help enforce the directions. If you want the pegusi to hover in the sky for a few minutes to get your bearings, pull the reins up gently once, then a second time harder."

"Won't that hurt the animal? We don't want to cause unnecessary pain," Iggy told Connor. The head of Hermes said not to worry, the pegusi were tough creatures.

"Getting up in the sky isn't that hard. You just need to flick the reins a few times and say up!" Alice added helpfully.

"Yeah landing the tough part. You do the same thing when you want to land only you need to say to land! It takes a few times to do it gracefully," Julia added. "Hope you aren't afraid of heights. See you up there!" With a few flicks she and Julia were soon up in the air on their mounts.

"Okay your turn you Acolytes. Let's see if you can do better than Bellaphrone did." It took a few tries, but soon everyone was in the air climbing higher and higher.

Heather and Zoe reached the pinnacle of their height before racing across the sky quickly catching up with Alice and Julie. "Hello girls, enjoying your flight?" A part of Heather enjoyed the shock on their faces. "Turns out this flying isn't that hard once you get the basics down. Zoe, can you go up a bit higher?

Zoe let out a positive sound before climbing a bit higher in the air. She lent a wing to help Heather get back into position on her back. She whinnied happily as the teen gave her neck a good scratch. When her rider gave her permission to fly faster Zoe went into a full air gallop. It felt so good to be flying free in the air.

Heather was having fun too. Looking below she kept an eye on how well everyone else was doing. Iggy was having the most success keeping his pegusi at a steady speed and in a flight pattern. Maui was bouncing a bit in the saddle his ride reacting to his rider's excitement. Connor had flown up to his side trying to help the boy to sit still.

Eunice and Sidonia flew side by side, giving advice to another. They were practicing the different commands Connor had shown before, getting enough distance between each other to try before coming back together. Chui made up the rear, he was having a bit of trouble working with his mount.

"I hope he's not in too much trouble. Maybe we should drop back and help him," Heather suggested. Zoe, with some reluctance was going to turn back when her ears picked up something. One of the other pegusi was in trouble. She got fussy with her rider trying to fly in the other direction.

"Whoa Zoe, do you hear something? Alright you take control." Zoe didn't need to be asked twice. They dove down at breakneck speeds leveling out next to Julia and her mount. The demigod was halfway out the saddle and her mount started to buck trying to dislodge the girl. Alice was trying to calm the pegusi down only her energy was making her own mount to start bucking.

"Both of you calm down! Alice, pull back and then land. I'll help Julia." The girl did as she was told. Now it was time to help Julia. "Zoe, get me closer. I need to get her mount to hover. See if you can help."

Zoe matched the pegusi pace, making sure her friend saw her and didn't panic. Heather leaned over on the saddle and told the demigod to calm down and hold on. Reaching out she snagged the reins and tugged the up gently the harder. Remembering its training the mount stopped. Zoe hovered on her own talking with her friend telling him to relax.

"Here let me help you up Julia." Once the girl was back in the saddle she properly she thanked Heather for her help. "It's no big deal. Just take it bit easier next time. Pegusi are smart animals and can sense your emotions. So try to keep your mischief side under control when flying." Heather secretly hoped that doing this would get the Hermes cabin to ease up on their jokes.

* * *

If there was one downside to being the head councilor of a cabin, it was the weekly meeting to discuss with Chiron any problems going on with their cabins, their bunk mates, or suggesting new activities for their Friday night activities. It wasn't that he disliked the hard work and flexibility it took to be the head councilor. No, he thrived on that. He was also very smart. The real problem was meetings tended to get out of hand with so many different personalities.

Currently Damien and Chiara, Nemesis and Tyche respectfully, were in a bitter argument over introducing an all vegetarian dinner night instead of complete desert bar every night. Chiara argued that a vegetarian meal would be healthy and it would take a shorter time to make. Damien counterattacked with that they needed to have sugary treats to help ease the body after all that training.

Chui leaned over and whispered into Miranda's ear. "How often do they fight about this?"

"At least twice a month. Usually we just let them argue themselves out," she replied in a whisper. "Personally, I agree with both of them, but no one can get them to compromise on anything. I blame their mothers."

"Vegetarian meals lack any real taste! I refuse to have nothing except raw vegetables for an entire meal!" Damien yelled so loud the other heads had to cover their ears.

"So a galore of pastries, ranging from cakes to donuts is your idea of healthy eating? Having that much sugar in us would not only have us get hyper, but we crash so hard monsters would eat us for their desert!"

Chiron held his head in his hands. "Children, I'm sure we can resolve this matter at a later time. We need to move on to more important things like figuring out what our next all camp activity will be."

"NO I WON'T DROP THIS AGAIN."

"HE'S RIGHT, WE NEED TO SOLVE THIS NOW."

A loud piercing whistle filled the air drawing everyone's attention to Chui. The Acolyte of Stately Order stared at each of them before narrowing his eyes on the two trouble makers. "You two are acting like my adopted little brother. You are not two year olds, but young adults, so act like it."

The two bickers fell silent, no one had ever called them out on their behavior before. Still they wouldn't drop the matter. "We really need to decide on this matter or we're just going to keep arguing about it."

"She's right. It's not in my nature to stop arguing or seek a compromise."

Chui stood up and told them that was too bad because they were going to have to accept it. He proposed a compromise. The first and third Saturday in the month would have a vegetarian meal served for the whole camp. On the second and fourth a huge desert bar would be open for everyone to pick from. "Does everyone agree with this solution?"

The other head councilors eagerly agreed to it. In defeat, Damien and Chiara nodded their heads. Shaking hands with one another, the slid down in their chairs waiting for the next piece of business. Everyone was still looking at Chui waiting to what he had to say.

Chui took a deep breath, centered himself before addressing everyone. "I know my idea might sound old fashion, but from what I've seen everyone needs to learn to get along better. So I suggest a family game night. We can play games like Twister, Trivia Pursuit, and have different card games going." Personally he was partial to Uno. It would give the campers a chance to focus on having fun and work with each other.

Chiron liked the idea and declared he would dust off the old game boards he had in the storage closet. The other heads promised their cabins or if they were alone, would behave properly. Chiron declared the meeting was closed. Everyone gathered their belongings and headed for their cabins.

Miranda joined Chui as they walked back to their cabins. She let out a little laugh. "I can't believe you pulled that off. Ever since those two arrived, it took hours to complete a meeting. You managed to get us done in an hour."

Chui blushed and admitted he was terrified. "They have powers that could really backfire on me if they chose to use them. I'm just glad that they listened to me without arguing back."

"Hestia really knew what she was doing when she picked you as the Acolyte of Stately Order. Maybe you can give me some tips. It won't be long before we get new demigods coming with the school year going on." Chui agreed to help her out. Miranda was happy to hear that and told him anytime he needed a friend to talk to, she be there for him.

Chui entered his cabin smiling at all his fellow Acolytes. Each of them were busy with something. Doing homework, taking care of one of their duties, or just relaxing. September had been a trial by fire for certain. It's a good thing that the Acolytes knew how to tend it. The rest of the school year should be fun.


	4. The Champions

October brought out the chill in the air. It was time to break out the fall fashions. This was a new experience for the Huiah siblings, it never got this chilly back home. Tino Gonzales was used to very chilly and cold nights in the desert. Experiencing it during the day was a whole new thing for the boy. The others were rather use to a chilled autumn air or didn't show it was bothering them.

The important things was that Hestia's and Hera's campers had been fully accepted as part of the camp. They had made friends with the various year-rounders' while falling into a happy routine. All of them had finally settled into their new roles.

While the Acolytes attended to hearth fire, made uses of the sacred ashes, and performed all of Hestia's rites and carried out their different aspects of their patron goddess, the Champions had their own responsibilities. They did patrols around the perimeter of the camp. They performed the rites of Hera and educated the other about Hera's other side. They also worked to fulfill the roles their patron had given them. So far there hadn't been any reason to carry out great deeds or a chance to use the divine power deep inside them. Still, both Champions and Acolytes knew one day, they would get their chance to make their patron goddesses happy.

Uma was performing her morning patrol. She and her bunk mates usually got up about forty minutes before the rest of the camp to do a quick morning patrol before breakfast. Each of them had a rotating designated area to patrol. Her area this morning was by the beach. Today she was dressed in more normal clothes then her traditional ones. Now a days, she only put on her, _salwar kameez,_ on the weekend or for religious ceremonies.

Walking across the beach she scanned the area for any signs of monsters coming from the Long Island Sound. So far no signs of rouge monsters or potential threats from unknown enemies. Still, she gripped her Celestial bronzed _valari,_ (India curved throwing stick), tightly. It was her main weapon because she hadn't decided on a backup yet.

It was similar to a boomerang, but one end was very sharp and the other was rounded for a handle. Depending on the range and throw it could be lethal or non-lethal. As she continued her patrol Uma gripped the weapon she was still mastering, hoping to not use it for lethal means.

* * *

After the first few combat lessons along with making weapons and how to use them, it had become obvious that the normal stock of weapons from the Armory didn't work or feel right in the hands of the twelve mortals. Their small blessing of power didn't come with the same battle instincts of the demigod children. Chiron had suggested that perhaps weapons of their cultural background would feel right and be easier to learn. They had taken his advice and it worked out perfectly.

The Acolytes main weapons were their fire pokers and lanterns that carried a bit of Hestia's Hearth fire with them. Using the symbols of their patron goddess gave them a stronger connection with her. Their back up weapons had been based on cultural traditional ones, so they could use them to defend themselves while protecting the Hearth.

Her fellow head councilor, Chui carried a traditional small crossbow from his ancestral home of Gabon. Heather carried a _Seax,_ a traditional knife from the Germanic people. Ichabod carried a signal whip and his pet was covered in traditional armor to protect him. Sidonia carried a short club like her distant ancestors. Eunice used a hammer and Maui the _Ihe_ a short spear.

* * *

At the moment, the rest of Hera's cabin weapons were in a varying stages of completion. Making traditional weapons with traditional items wasn't very easy. Getting items or finding good substitute took time. The hardest challenge was learning how cover them with Celestial bronze that activated with a slight push of a hidden button for monster use and retracted inside the rest of the time for normal stuff.

A few minutes later she stopped and ducked behind a dune. There was someone a few feet away. She could tell it was a male and he was angry about something by the way he was kicking the sand. The breeze carried away some of the words, but Uma thought she recognized the language from somewhere, but couldn't place it.

Taking a deep breath she jumped around the dune hurling her weapon. It spun on its axis and hit the male on the back causing him to tumble into the sand. Running forward, she jumped up catching the _valari_ , and landed in front of her foe, sharp edge out. "Identify yourself!"

" _O que foi que para? Você está tentando me matar ou você gosta de usar as pessoas como alvo prática?"_ Paolo yelled at her pushing himself up as sand fell all around him. He started slapping in off with his bandana. _"Eu realmente esperava que você e o resto de mortais campistas não seria tentar pista até mim"._

" _Por favor abrandar. Não consigo entender quando você falar tão rápido."_ Uma replied very slowly. She knew there had to be a reason she recognized those few words.

Pablo looked at her in astonishment. None of the other campers ever knew what he saying, but Uma did. If did speak his language, why hadn't she done it before? _"Você sabe falar português?"_

" _Um pouco,"_ the Champion of Marriage admitted. She explained that she had a Brazilian pen pal through junior high, but they lost touch when they both started high school. "I remember some of the language my pen pal taught me, but I'm not very fluent. The only other language I speak besides English is Hindi."

Pablo understood her words and replied in Portuguese, but she shook her head saying she didn't catch all that. The only words she picked up was teach and learn. He pointed to his mouth and mimed talking then pointed her making the same gestures before pointing back to himself.

"Okay, um let's see if I can say this. _Você quer que eu lhe ensinar a falar_ _inglês e você_ vai," She paused for a minute going over the pronunciation in her mind before continuing " _me ensinam a ser mais fluente em português?"_

The son of Hebe nodded with hopeful look on his face. It would be nice to have someone talk to him and understand what he was saying. Finally the other campers would stop asking him to do charades! A huge smile appeared on his face as Uma agreed. He spun her around getting a squeal of surprise before he put her back down on the sand.

Brushing off the sand, she sheathed her weapon. The wing blew from the direction of the dinning pavilion with the sweet smell of breakfast. "Come on, we can sit together today. It will be our first lesson." Looping her arm through his, they walked together looking forward to a nice breakfast.

None of her bunk mates missed Uma coming in with Paolo who was talking a mile a minute. Nor did they miss the way she slapped him on the back and replied in a mix of English and Portuguese. Getting her breakfast she came over to sit with her group for their morning reports.

"So you like boys from Brazil? I thought your parents were going to arrange your marriage," Leilani teased her. "Not that he isn't a catch, he's going to be staying young looking for a long time because of his mom."

"That should please our patron goddess. One of her champions keeping an eye on her daughter's kid," Wyatt remarked. He was punched in the arm by Vitas who told him to stop being so weird.

"I'm not involved with Paolo. I happen to speak a little of his native language. I ran into him on patrol on the beach and attacked him," Uma explained ignoring the chuckling from Orlanda, who thought it was funny that she just up and attacked a boy.

"Orlanda chill okay? So you decided to help him with his English and you learn more about his language? That's what a good friend does," Tino said taking a bite out of his toast. If people could understand what the boy was saying, maybe he could help them with Hera's cause. His mother was her daughter after all.

* * *

Wyatt was in the combat arena training in different hand to hand combat, a Greek style known as Pankration. It was a combination of wrestling/boxing throwing in a couple kicks. Wyatt's opponent was Damien, who was good about throwing his weight around.

At the moment, Nemeses' son had Wyatt in shoulder lock combination with his left arm bent with his hands and fingers stuck in his own armpit. His right forearm was extend and pressed tightly against his abdomen. Wyatt struggled, but couldn't figure out how to break the hold.

"I give ah! I give!" Damien put more pressure on him, pushing him further into the sand. "I give up already!"

"You sure emo boy? The fight was just getting good." Damien whispered as he continued to put more pressure. The bones felt as if they were going to be snapped in half.

"Enough! Let him up Damien," the satyr in charge called out. Damien grunted before letting go. Wyatt fell into the sand keeping his contact colored eyes tightly closed to prevent sand from getting in. The Champion got pulled to his feet and felt someone put a bottle of water in his hands. Dripping a few drops on his face he made sure the sand was gone before opening his eyes. Wyatt glared at his foe.

"Why don't you two take a break? Go sit down please." The boys nodded and headed to the stands. Running a hand through his half shaved bicolor hair he dislodged any remaining sand. He looked at Damien before brushing past him and sitting down on the cement benches where he left his bag. He pulled out his _rondel,_ a long thin steel blade with the tang going all the way into the attached rounded hand guard. He took out some polishing oil and began to clean the blade.

Damien watched with interest. He thought Wyatt was the most unusual of the bunch. The guy wore emo style clothing and listened to the music. Sure, he'd seen his tough guy act, at the same time he's watched the boy being kind and helpful around camp. It didn't make sense to him or why Hera chose a Champion to represent her emotions. "So, since we have some free time, care to share?"

Wyatt looked up from his polishing and cocked his head. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

Damien held his hands up in defense. "Hey, I'm not here to make fun of you. I'm just curious." Lowering his hands, Damien did his best to look sincere and trustworthy. "Ever since you arrived, I've wanted to be your friend."

"Do friends make fun of each other, harass them when their performing their duties? I know you tried to steal my notes to pass your science exam."

Damien looked at teen guiltily. He had done all those things. When he was still living with his dad, it was the way he and his old friends acted towards each other. They hadn't minded and he thought Wyatt would be too. Guess he was mistaken. "Look, I'm sorry Grimwood. I just I'm use to making friends my way. Thought you be cool with it so I didn't mean to offend you. I'm not trying to pretend to be your friend, then back stab you like my mom would."

Hearing that Wyatt looked at him skeptically judging the seriousness behind his words. Laying his rondel to the side he asked Damien what he wanted to know. The other teen boy asked for the basics and he wanted to know a bit more about his weapon and why he chose to be a champion.

"Well, I'm from Augusta Maine, my family has lived there for generations. I've been living with my grandparents since I was two." He raised a hand to stop Damien from asking the next question. "What I tell you next stays between us. Not even my other bunk mates know about this yet."

Damien nodded swearing he wouldn't. He kept his mouth shut as Wyatt told him that his parents had been in a terrible car accident when he was two. His father had died in impact and his mother suffered long term damage to her brain and body. She was living in a long term care facility because she was unable to care for herself let alone him.

"My grandparents are cool. My Grandma never put up a fuss about my emo fashion and music. She lets me be myself as long as I follow the house rules and do well in school. She taught me how to sing, but don't ask me to do so just yet."

Damien nodded. Wyatt was one interesting person especially when he told him about his grandpa. The man had been a cultural anthropologist whose main study was historical events and mythology of ancient people. Turned out he really had run in with a creature from the stories of Hercules, Caeus

"No way, your grandpa tangled with that guy? He's a fire breathing half human half beast! He should be rotting in Tartarus! How did he see it through the Mist?"

Wyatt shrugged admitting his grandparents were the most open minded people he knew. Hera mentioned that sometimes mortals who were very open minded and believed in the old stories, could sometimes penetrate the Mist and see things as they really were.

"So my Grandpa, was facing down this creature in a cave that was being excavated. The others had run off thinking there was gas coming from underground causing a fire to break out. He didn't have anything on him, except a rondel a colleague had given to him in Austria. He got lucky and managed to stab the monster in the neck. Even without Celestial bronze, it hurt a lot.

Caeus chased him out of the cave ready to fry him only he stumbled over the excavation equipment and fell down the cliff and vanished into smoke. My grandpa thanked the gods' right there especially Hera, saying that as queen of the gods, she was the kindest of the all for blessing him with the traits of hero for a little bit."

Wyatt chuckled and told other teen that Hera was so flattered she actually appeared before him and thanked him for the prayers. She wanted to give him a blessing and he told her the only blessing he needed was seeing his favorite goddess in person. Who knew so many years later she'd select his grandson to be her champion? It was honor the family couldn't refuse.

"Whoa, so they know the truth about the camp and still let you come? Now those are some nice grandparents!" Combat training was breaking up and everyone was starting to leave for their next activity. "You should come by my cabin sometime. We could hang out some more."

"I would really like that. I'd also liked to hear your story too." The two boys shook hands and a great friendship was born.

* * *

It was a few days later and Leilani was climbing up the rock wall. Lava was spilling over as she ascended the wall. Back home in Wailuku, she enjoyed going for hikes and climbing. It wasn't always easy getting papaya and fighting to keep it free of viruses, fungi, and fruit flies was daily challenge.

The lava started coming down the center and she knew from experience it was hot. The wall wasn't supposed to be spewing the real stuff when either a Champion or Acolyte was using the wall, just red orange ooze. Looking down at her spotter Chiara and wonder if Miss Lucky remembered to press the switch.

"Hey Chiara, did you remember to switch it from real lava to ooze?" she called out to the Italian girl.

"Of course I did, I'm not forgetful," Chiara shouted back. "Besides my good luck should protect you from any harm if I didn't." Good thing she was on the ground otherwise she might have said some choice words with the Hawaiian curses coming out of Leilani's mouth. "Better hurry! The ooze is coming down pretty fast."

Leilani continued to climb the wall keeping her eyes on the flowing lava. The burning smell was getting stronger and she could see the ooze getting closer. When she saw one of the rocks start to melt, she knew Miss Lucky had made a mistake.

"Chiara you better hope your luck is good," the Hawaiian girl muttered under her breath as she started to repel back down the wall. The lava was starting to pour quicker and she could see it trying to reach her rope. "Chiara, let go of the rope and brace yourself to catch me!"

The daughter of Tyche wanted to protest the ill logic to that statement only for the Champion of Womanhood to shout at her causing her to let go of the rope. Chiara watched as the teenage girl fell fast to the ground. Giving a silent prayer to her mother, she raced forward and caught the girl before she hit the ground.

They both rolled backwards out of the way as the lava pooled into the pit. Both of them let out sighs of relief. "Well I guess my good luck helped us out of that mess." Leilani punched her in the arm and started cursing in Hawaiian again. "Will you please stop that?! I don't have a clue what you're saying?"

"Well I don't speak Italian, but your words come across fine to me. Why didn't you double check to make sure you hit the right button?"

"I didn't think I needed to. I was positive I had pushed the right button. If you don't trust me, then why did you ask me to be your spotter?"

"I do trust you Chiara. I think your one of the most trustworthy campers here." Chiara smiled upon hearing that. Most people just wanted to use her for her good luck. Then she realized Leilani was still talking. "I just like to be cautious when I'm out adventuring. The danger appeal is exciting, but it's better when I know that I have safety precautions to protect me while I'm doing it."

"That does make sense. I'm sorry, I'll be extra careful next time." Leilani nodded and asked if there was something else she wanted to do with the rest of their free time. "I was wondering if you knew how to hula. I always wanted to learn."

"Why am I not surprised? Okay, let's go to your cabin, but I must warn you. Hula is not just dancing. It is a highly developed art for communicating, fighting, and keeping oral history alive. It is said the Goddess Hi`iaka danced the first hula to make her sister Pele happy. Later her sisters Kapo and Laka joined her as spiritual patrons of hula. "

The young Champion suspected that all the pantheon of ancient gods continued to exist in different places around the world. The fact she had been chosen by a Greek goddess to carry out deeds in her name, while she still believed in the ones sacred culture, was something she made peace with some time ago. Almost all the other mortals had beliefs in other gods or religions, but still respected and honored their patron without feeling conflicted.

Tyche's cabin was filled with symbols of good luck and a picture of the goddess wearing her symbol, the mural crown, a crown that looked like the walls to a city, hanging on the wall. It felt cozy in here. While Chiara cleared some space for them to practice with Leilani removed her sling and pouch before going into the bathroom to change into something easier to dance with.

Once they had enough space Leilani instructed Chiara to stand in front of her and do as she did. "I am the Kumu, the teacher. You will follow my instructions to the letter. Be thankful I'm not banning you from sweets and no contact with the opposite sex."

Chiara raised an eyebrow because she never knew there were disciplines one had to follow as they learned how to dance. Nor did she know that there were many different types of hulas and some could be performed by sitting. The most important thing about hula wasn't the dance itself, but the chanting accompanying it.

"Alright you need to be in the proper stance is a having a firm grip with your feet and at the same time be loose in your upper body to mimicking the movements of elements. Your hands should be held in a position like a greeting. Now take one step forward and slowly move your hands around."

Chiara did that and tried to keep up with Leilani, but her movements weren't that graceful yet. It looked like the young Champion and demigod would be spending a lot of time together learning how to dance because luck wouldn't always be there to help.

* * *

It was the weekend and Tino found himself drawn to the Demeter cabin. He was having some difficulty with his role of Champion of Motherhood. Oh he could handle the others boys teasing him and making fun of him. That didn't bother him. It didn't upset him that the girls at the camp so it was sweet that a mama's boy like him was the champion of Motherhood.

No, his problem was slightly different. He had just gotten a letter from home. It was pretty battered and according to the date it had been mailed out in early September so why had it taken almost a month to get here. The contents of the letter had him thinking twice about why he was here. He wanted to talk to someone who also had a mom that could make you feel guilty whether it was unintentional or not.

He knocked on the cabin door and called out, "Billie are you here? Can we talk?" The door opened and there stood Billie Ng who was eyeing him. She couldn't think of a reason he'd come to her cabin. She eyed his weapon, a _macahuitl_ , an Aztec warrior weapon that was a combination sword/club. Sharp obsidian stones lined the wooden center. Depending on how you held it, you could either knock your opponent out with the flat side and if you used the bladed side cut through most things.

"You wanted to talk to me about something Tino?"

"Yeah, I got a letter from my mom and it's just messing with mind. From what I've read about; your mother she can be a bit hard to understand. Think we can talk?" He asked politely.

"Sure, but leave your weapon outside and take off your polos before entering okay?" Tino did as she asked, entering the grass floor of the cabin. He looked at the tree in the center, he had an itch to climb it, but knew it would be disrespectful if he did. As he started to walk to Billie's bed, he tripped on a piece of tangled grass falling on his face.

Billie giggled, but helped the boy up. "I see your still living up to your clumsy reputation. I thought all that training would have made you a bit more graceful."

Tino shrugged his shoulders mentioning that his mother was clumsy growing up and that she grew out of it. Maybe he would too. Billie helped him over to her bed, moving the grass a bit so he couldn't trip again. Once the two of them were sitting on her bed, Tino reached into his jacket and pulled out the battered letter.

 _"Dear Tino, I hope that you are having a wonderful time at CHB. I can only imagine what your classes are like. What is your favorite subject and have you joined any activities. With such a large campus, you have a lot of room to play sports. I know you never got a chance to play any because of me working so much, so I hope that you have tried out for one._

 _I know you worry about me, but I'm doing just fine. I do miss your company and help around the home. In fact the entire neighborhood misses your constant presences. The kids in the neighborhood are always asking for you, but not as much as their mothers! Just the other day Mrs. Portia was asking when you were coming home for a visit. She needs someone to help her out with Carlos on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons so she can get her errands done without having to take her five year old everywhere._

 _What are your dorm mates like? Are you friends with any of them? I hope your clumsiness hasn't caused any big problems. I would love to meet them in person. I've been working overtime to earn enough money to buy two round trip tickets for the holidays. You can invite a friend to come home with you and we could have so much fun together._

 _Please write back soon son. I want to hear from you even if it's just words on a piece of paper, it brings you closer to me. With all my love Mom"_

After finishing reading the letter, Tino sighed and looked at the ground. His feet started tapping nervously. He kept clenching the paper before stopping in fear of tearing it. Billie held out her hand and the boy passed the letter to her.

Rereading it she understood what was bothering him. His mom was very supportive and wanted him to have nice life CHB. At the same time, there subtle hints that sounded like she was having trouble without him around. Tino probably didn't like hearing she was working overtime to pay for plane tickets, he might not even use. Reading that must have made him feel guilty.

"I can see why you came to me for this. My own mother is sort of like this. Wanting things to just be a certain way, but then unhappy about how life turned out. Focusing all her attention on one kid controlling their life so much they feel trapped."

Tino looked like he wanted to tell her that his mom wasn't controlling, but it was rude to interrupt someone when they were speaking, especially if it was a lady. Besides, he had come to her with a problem and it would be disrespectful not to listen to her opinion or advice for him.

Billie wasn't surprised Tino was being so polite and respectful towards her. She had seen this personality trait almost every day since he got here. Some people might take advantage of that, but she wasn't one. "I didn't mean to imply your mom was controlling. You just don't know what to make of her emotions when she wrote this letter."

"Exactly. Is my mom asking me to come home or is she implying that I shouldn't be concerned about her and everyone in my neighborhood. Why is she working overtime to get two plane tickets if I'm the only one she really wants to see me? It's confusing and as the Champion of Motherhood, I am troubled I can't figure out what my own mom is trying to tell me," Tino moaned as he laid on his back looking up.

Billie laid next to him and propped herself up using her pillow. "Moms' can be very confusing with all their subtle hints. You have to take in account about their actions towards you and past relationships. Did you know in ancient times, my mother actually had two other daughters or that she has a few sons?"

Tino nodded. He had read about the unusual birth after Poseidon mated with her. Despoina, the Goddess of the Arcadian Mysteries, a secret cult worshippers that created the first mixed religion from a primitive religion mixed with the Greeks stories. She was in charge of helping conduct the ceremonies and bringing in initiates. She had a strained relationship with her mother because Demeter asked a Titan to raise, instead of doing it herself.

She wasn't talked about much as her twin brother, the flying horse Arion, who's recent help in defeating Gaia made him more popular than ever. Therefore it wasn't much a surprise that when Demeter had another set of twins, with a Cretan harvest god Carmanor; a boy name Eubelous who wrote the inscriptions for his mother's Eleusinian Mysteries. In the last few centuries he had become a "major god" to archeologist.

His twin sister, Chrysothemis, who was a singer and in charge of the Golden Harvest, constantly was misidentified as a male, something Demeter didn't try to protest often. That didn't help with their relationship at all.

Her son with Iason, Plutus was the, "Divine Child" of the Eleusinian Mysterious who used his power as the god of wealth to help practitioners live their lives so they would stay in the cult. No one was sure about his relationship with Demeter.

"Demeter can be a challenging mother depending on her mood, but no matter what mood she's in she's my mother and I accept her for who she is. Maybe you should write back and ask her to clarify some things." Tino agreed that would be an excellent idea and thanked for the advice causing the girl to blush.

* * *

While this was going on another Champion was seeking advice. In Athena's cabin Malcom was wondering if it had been a good idea to invite Vitas Choi here. He knew Vitas looked up to him for reason he couldn't pinpoint. It was very flattering to be admired considering Annabeth was usually the one being admired.

Yet even with all his wisdom and skills, he still couldn't get the Korean American to sit still. From the moment he came in here the younger boy was pacing around in an agitated manner. He kept rubbing his hands together. The boy's _pyeongon,_ a traditional Korean weapon that consisted of a large pole (187cm) with a shorter stick (47cm) attached to it by a metal chain, swung on his back. "Could you please put that thing down? I'm afraid you're going to hurt yourself with it."

"Sorry, I'm just feeling really unsettled lately Malcom," Vitas said. "You're the wisest person in this camp besides Chiron, but I think you can relate better to my problem than the centaur can."

"Which is what exactly?"

"Trying to find my individuality," Vitas exclaimed causing the older boy to raise his eyebrows in shock. An identity crises, how in the world was he supposed to help with that? Maybe he should let the kid explain.

Vitas flopped down on a chair and moaned a bit before explaining his problem. "My parents are very traditional. Both sets of grandparents arranged their marriage to preserve the male bloodline. My father's a vice president at a local electronic company and my mom works part time as a library assistant.

According to tradition family is everything and the needs of an individual are less important. Any action taken by one person can result in a poor _kibun,_ (family pride), for the entire family. Essentially, I must do everything I can to preserve the harmony among our family and the relationships with others. I've been told since birth I can't repay the debt I owe my parents, but as their eldest son and only child I have so many responsibilities I have to live up to.

Then there are all the customs to follow. Strict guidelines on how to greet guests depending on social status, etiquette on how every meal is supposed to be served, not mention how to dress, behave, act in public and private. My family has been living in America for nearly four generations and yet we still act as if we haven't left South Korea!"

Malcom listened to the boy and handed him a tissue to wipe the tears of frustration off his face. It was very clear that while Vitas, whose name was the only thing non-traditional, felt overwhelmed by the culture of his birth and his desire to embrace the American world around him.

From what I observed Vitas values education and family, but wants more freedom to discover himself. His neighborhood back home is near a lake and hiking trails, however he's never mentioned family trips to either of them. He doesn't like traditional arts, literature on the people of Korea or calligraphy. So what does like? Malcom thought to himself

"So you don't like your life, but respect your family and culture. I understand that considering my life. In a lot of ways I embrace my Greek side, but yeah I have my own interests that have nothing to do with that." The grey eyed boy studied Vitas knowing that what the kid wanted was advice on how to be rebellious as a preteen!

"I'm not sure abandoning everything your family taught you is the way to go about rebelling, especially at a young age." Vitas looked up in betrayal upon hearing those words, so Malcom pushed forward. "That doesn't mean you can't do a few things that aren't traditional to set yourself apart. What is it you like?"

Vitas started speaking so fast, it was hard to keep up. He loved all the outdoor activities here. He liked wearing bright colored cloths and wanted to get his ears pierced to wear male earring styles. His interests included wring his own manga, learn how to roller blade, and collect rocks for his secret collection.

Malcom pointed out that Vitas had a few things he wanted already here. He didn't encourage the twelve year old to pierce his ears, but he mentioned that some of the girls might know how to do that. He would have to wait to learn to rollerblade, but he could pursue his other interests here. "Here you can learn to be yourself and become the person you want, just be prepared for the backlash you might get when you return home."

"I'm prepared, thanks for the advice Malcom, you're the best!" Vitas hugged the older boy, something against Korean tradition, and flew out the door shouting about searching for new rock samples.

* * *

Orlanda Frankfurt was many things. She was a competitive athlete who worked twice as hard to develop her skills. She knew self-defense and cane fighting to make sure no one took advantage of her. Sure she was a little impatient, but she was eleven. So what if she was blind due to congenital defect in her eye nerves? If you gave her any pity, she would clock said person.

Orlanda had struggled all her life to prove herself. Her parents loved her, but over the years they had gotten too protective. They went overboard with keeping her safe. Constantly supervising her, always telling her where things were, and fearing she was going to get hurt. Sending her to board at the Virginia School for the Blind and Deaf, had been their idea of restricted freedom. They hadn't even tried to put her in normal school like Madison and Augusta. That annoyed her to no end.

Here at Camp Half-Blood, she wasn't the blind kid, she was the Champion of Glory. The kids here treated her like an equal and learned fast that she wasn't a fragile individual. The occasional help and accommodations didn't bug her. Her bunk mates cared about her in ways her family didn't. In fact, they helped her get back at sore winners.

A few days ago, in training she had been teamed up with Kayla and Austin as they fought against Sherman and the Victor twins. The three teams had been made up of a long, mid, and close range and the point of the training had been to learn to cover your ally's weaknesses.

Orlanda's team had been doing well until the Victor twins had pushed ahead of Sherman double teaming Orlanda, pouncing on her and holding her hostage while Sherman threatened to gut her if her teammates didn't surrender. Hearing them crow about their victory caused the eleven year old blood to boil. She had challenged them to a rematch on _her_ playing field.

So for the first time in Camp Half-Blood history, instead of playing capture the flag they would be playing goalball. Everyone had pitched in to create the court. They found some heavy duty rope and some spikes to create the six zones on the green. A modified volleyball would serve as the ball while Nyssa and Harley installed the goals.

They needed a lot of officials to make this a true game. Chiron and Malcom had been chosen to be the two referees, one for each side of the court. Chui, Heather along with Uma and Wyatt would be goal judges. Damien and Chiara had been selected to be the ten second times, to ensure players didn't go over the time limit for contact with the ball and to call out penalties. Ichabod had insisted on being the score keeper. Nico had reluctantly agreed to be the time keeper.

Valentina had pulled off a miracle creating the uniforms for the game. Sidonia helped her by modifying some of the old gear to become special helmets with dark visors to prevent sight along with getting blindfolds to ensure perfect blindness. Once everyone was geared up, including the substitute members, Chiron went over the rules once more.

Finally it was game time. "You are going down Champion. There's no way we're going to lose!" Laurel called out.

"Yeah, we'll always be victorious," Holly added.

"I'm going to enjoy crushing you on your own court," Sherman sneered at Orlanda and her team mates.

"We'll see big boy. Unlike you, I've lived my life in darkness. Let's see how well you can handle it. "Try not to cry when you lose," Orlanda smirked before putting on her helmet. She would be playing her favorite position, Right Wing with Kayla as the Left Wing leaving Austin to play center. Predictably the twins would be the Wings with Sherman as the Center.

"Everyone ready? Let's have a clean game!" Chiron stated. He place the beeping ball in the middle then called play. Almost at once Sherman headed for the ball only to go sprawling on the grass as he misjudged the placement of the ball.

Austin claimed the ball and used the hash marks on the court to stand long enough to roll the ball back towards Orlanda, who snatched the ball up. She pushed herself up and listened carefully. Striding forward she leaned down and side armed the ball.

It landed in the goal zone and rolled passed goal line as the twins scrambled about trying to find it. Chiron blew his whistle declaring the first point to Orlanda's team. Iggy proudly made a tally mark on his chalkboard.

Play resumed this time Laurel had the ball. She bounced the ball to get a sense of it and threw it. The audience scrambled to avoid getting hit. Uma snatched the ball and put it back into play. Sherman stood and tossed the ball only for Austin to block it before moving right, then left, right, almost to left and then tossed the ball towards the goal zone.

This time, Holly blocked the shot with her abdomen. That smarted a lot as the ball dropped to the court. She picked up the ball and started to run down the court when Damion called out, "Ten second penalty! Holding the ball to long!"

Orlanda took it for the team, easily scoring another point when Holly didn't block the ball in time. She was beginning to get a sinking feeling she might now win this game.

After the first twelve minute period was up they took a short break to refresh and come up with a game plan. The score was Orlanda's team five to Sherman's zero. The son of Ares was acting coach and giving his substitute players his version of a pep talk. "Okay listen up you mongrels, I want to see you humiliating the other team. Our pride is on the line so you better pull off a victory."

"We won't let you down! I'll make mincemeat out of them. I block that ball so hard it will explode!" Ellis promised. Connor and Cecil would use every trick they knew to score. Sure they have to watch out for their sisters Julia and Alice, but Billie shouldn't be a problem.

The game resumed as the second stringers did their best. It was an "eye opening" experience for them. None of the demigods knew how much they depended on their sight or divine skills to win battles. Here in this arena with no powers and cut off from their main sensory organ that they started to realize that Orlanda was the Champion of Glory for a reason.

At last the game came to an end. Orlanda's team won by a landslide, ten to zero. There was a few seconds of distortion as the demigods regained their sight. Orlanda stood there proudly, her teammates beside her as they all shook hands. "Thanks for the great game. You know, if you're up to it, we can play the game again in a few weeks. Give everyone a chance to practice."

"That's a splendid idea Ms. Frankfurt. I will certainly add it to our Friday game night," Chiron told her. In his mind he was already revising a training schedule to help the demigods learn to overcome disabilities they might get while training or out questing. These Champions were turning out to be just what the camp needed.


	5. The Danger

Class was in session in the Big House. The kids were on the second floor getting their individualized lessons with the satyrs. Chiron had some business to discuss with the nymphs in the camp. Anyone with half a brain noticed that the centaur appeared to be stressing about something, but no one knew what it was about. Hopefully in time he would tell the campers what was wrong.

In the upper classroom, Tobias was lecturing his students: Chui, Heather, along with Uma and Wyatt, in the fine art of trigonometry. Next door Marco was teaching the middle class: Ichabod, Sidonia, Leilani, and Tino, famous pieces of literature from the ancient past to modern times. That left the lower class to Jake, who was teaching Eunice, Maui, Vitas, and Orlanda, the fine art of science.

"Now as you can see here, Euclid and Archimedes, were able to apply the components of the trigonometry formula to spheres thus creating a new type of math known as spherical trigonometry. The importance of this discovery helped ancient civilizations track stars and eventually incorporated in navigation that is still used to day," Tobias informed his students in a happy tone. Instead of playing pranks and chasing nymphs, he loved teaching. A bit unusual for one of his kind.

Using his pointer on the black board he tapped the different areas of a triangle. "We'll get into spherical trigonometry at a later time. Right now, can anyone tell me what the sides of the triangle are called?"

Uma raised her hand. "The sides are known as the hypotenuse, adjacent, and opposite. Sometimes the adjacent and opposite are known as perpendicular and base."

Tobias nodded that she was correct. He asked if anyone knew how to get the ratios of the sides when a loud bell echoed in the Big House. School was over for now. "Class dismissed, I want the four of you to review the mathematical terms and the formulas we'll be using next time. Have a nice day."

"My head is hurting so bad right now, I'm wondering if someone should take an awl to my head to relieve the pressure," Wyatt moaned before dramatically falling into Heather's arms. Heather sighed before shoving him back up. "You could be a bit more sensitive Heather."

"I am sensitive Wyatt, along with being _sensible._ You're not getting me to carry you downstairs due to a headache. Better luck next time my friend," Heather told him in a sweet voice. Turning away from him she jumped the last few steps and headed out of the Big House only to sit on the porch kicking her feet back and forth in contemplation.

"Hey, what's going on Heather? Is something bothering you?" Chui asked his bunk mate as he settled down next to her. The rest of Hestia's Acolytes also joined her on the porch wanting to help their friend. The Champions paused silently asking if they should stay. Iggy mouthed that this was Acolyte business. Nodding, the six Champions headed out.

"It's probably nothing, I'm just overthinking it."

"Overthinking what? Tell us please pretty please?" Maui asked doing his best puppy eye pout. Heather's face started to crack a little. Maui cranked up the look causing Heather's walls to break brick by brick. "Please, unless it's something private then you don't have to. But if it concerns all of us, they you have to talk." Once again Maui used his cleverness to his advantage. His friends wondered if there was anyone who could resist Maui's charm.

The girl held up her hands in defeat giving in to her bunk mates' request. Placing her chin on her hands she looked at each Acolyte before speaking. "Don't you think it's a little odd that no one new has arrived in the camp since we got here?"

"Chiron did say that late fall and wintertime are very quiet here," Sidonia replied. Cleaning her glasses and putting them back on her face she continued. "Still I have noticed that satyr Marco has a tendency to look out the window towards the road a lot during class." He seemed very sad to her.

"Maybe he's got friends who are out looking for demigods in the schools? They're spread out pretty far around the country and I can't imagine communicating here is easy," Iggy pointed out. The year rounders' had told the Acolytes about the duties of the satyrs about two weeks after they arrived. Still, something was bugging him. A thought that he couldn't get out of his head.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't satyrs usually check in around the start of the school year if they've found a demigod?" The other Acolytes agreed. It would be normal if most teams didn't find a demigod, but none of them finding a demigod and reporting it? That was crazy if you thought about the size of the libido of the gods.

"Hestia mentioned it wouldn't be long before we'd be performing all our duties as Acolytes. That includes greeting a new camper and showing them around. Not to mention bringing them to the main hearth, blessing them for becoming a member of the family," Eunice mentioned. That was the duty she had been looking forward to the most. A chance to make someone feel right at home after chaos interrupted their lives.

As head of the Hestia cabin it was up to Chui to decide what they should do about a problem involving their duties. Technically speaking, no new campers didn't fall under their jurisdiction. Then again it couldn't hurt to make some subtle inquiries and a few offerings to Hestia for protection and guidance.

* * *

Later that day, Sidonia walked up towards the road by the camp being mindful of the barriers. Due to being almost completely mortal, there was a huge chance if they left the camp they might not be able to get back in. Sure they passed _into_ the camp, but they weren't sure that _exiting_ the camp would have the same results. They hadn't really had time to test it.

The other reason for not stepping outside the barrier, was a mortal suddenly popping up in a place that was hidden, could alert monsters or worse, unwanted attention from anyone traveling down the road. Until they figured out a way to avoid such problems, the Acolytes and Champions, had no problem staying within the boundaries. Camp Half-Blood had become a second home to them. None of them would do something that put it in danger.

Reaching her destination, Sidonia started to scatter the ashes in the wind, letting them take flight out the camp and in any direction the winds wanted. Out of her pocket, she pulled a scented candle, made to smell like nature with only the hint of goat, and lit it with a match. Again, she let the wind take the scent away. "Let the scent of your kind and the sacred ashes lead you home satyrs."

Back at Hestia's cabin, Chui was preparing for an important ritual. He was going to call upon Hestia for aid. He had taken a thorough bath for purification and had put on his Acolyte clothing. Kneeling down, he offered the flames a simple sacrifice, an uncooked piece of meat, before letting the fire grow. Adding a few more tree branches he started to pray.

"Hestia, my humble patroness, I make this sacrifice in the name of your senior Acolyte. As your humble followers, we seek your guidance. There is a sense of wrongness here at Camp Half-Blood. Sadly, I and the other Acolytes, have not figured out what that wrongness is. In your wisdom and grace, please send us a sign to guide us to what we should do next. Thank you." Chui watched the fire burning hoping that his message would be answered within a certain amount of time.

The door opened quietly even without turning around Chui knew it would be Heather. Her footsteps had a distinct echo to them due to her height. "Anything new to report?"

"Nothing unusual with the year-rounders'. To them, it's normal for them not to be in contact with their families." Sitting on her bed, she picked up the picture of her family tracing her parents' faces. She missed them very much. It was hard for her to imagine them hating or kicking her out of the family because of something that wasn't her fault. Her parents loved her and she respected them. They had taught her that you should never blame anyone for something caused by your own actions. In other words, a parent blaming a child for the dangers brought upon their family; should acknowledge they could have said no to sex.

"The demigods don't think anything's wrong. Most of them believe Chiron needs a vacation because of the demands of the camp. I did get Conner to admit he was worried that Julia's and Alice's pranks are threatening the health of the centaur." Hermes cabin did have a tendency to raise the old centaur's blood pressure.

Both teens silently agreed with that having to put up with the pranksters as well. After Chiron, the Acolytes endured the most pranks. As the oldest kids in the cabin, they tag teamed making the younger kids feel better and making sure the pranksters got punished.

The door opened again and in rushed the rest of the cabin. Sidonia of course was covered in ashes and had smoke stains on her robe. Iggy had his clothes torn up and Xylon was grunting with anxiety. Eunice was also dirty and had a few flowers stuck in her hair. Maui was the only clean one and he was hopping about. The other kids gave him a slightly annoyed look.

"Sidonia, Eunice, and Iggy, get in the bath and clean up. Maui take Xylon outside and see if you can get him to calm down a bit. I'll go clean the cloths and start mending them," Heather stated already holding her hands out. Chui nodded gratefully as he went to get the cabin back in order.

An hour and half later everyone was in clean cloths and calmed down. It turned out that while Sidonia was trying to send protection to the satyrs outside the camp, Iggy, Xylon, and Eunice had been talking with the nature spirits. The variety of nymphs and satyrs had gotten a bit out of control when answering some questions.

"What we managed to get out of them that, between the Cloven Elders out in California and the unease they sense in the woods, their on edge. Yet no one wants to bother Chiron right now. It's a wait and see," Iggy explained as he and Eunice petted Xylon, who grunted in agreement.

"Hopefully they'll perk up. I was in the Big House and I, sort of eavesdropped on Chiron. Apparently the current Oracle Rachel Dare is coming for a visit in December," Maui admitted looking a bit guilty for his bad manners. At least he knew he was wrong. Hearing that the Oracle would be coming by filled the Acolytes with hope that things would get better.

* * *

Another week passed and still there was nothing from the outside world. With Thanksgiving only two weeks away, the Champions had been expecting something from their families. No letters, cards, packages had arrived. Another thing that was weird is that the magical supply truck that came once a month to the camp, hadn't shown up on its scheduled visit. This was disturbing because without a large amount of supplies, the camp would have to buckle down on its resources.

Lately patrols around the camp's boarders had been making them very nervous. Strange sounds could be heard coming from the woods. It was normal to hear the monsters who lived there hunting one another. The boys claimed each time they patrolled that section the noises got louder and angrier. Once Vitas swore he heard an eruption of some kind. Tino mentioned he thought he saw a faint light from deep in the woods, but he mentioned his eyes could be playing tricks on him.

The girls had their own problems to deal with. Camp Half-Blood had a long history and while certain events had been immortalized with trophies and oral narration, there really wasn't a complete detail record on everything. Without a complete record, they had no way of knowing if something like this had happened before. Chiron may be immortal; however like everyone else his memories faded with time.

Leilani and Orlanda, with some help from Iggy and Sidonia, had been making a chronicle of the history of the camp by talking with the nature spirits, campers, and Chiron when he had a moment of peace. With an organized history the camp past events or certain people could be looked up efficiently. It was going to take some time to finish. They hoped it would be finished by the end of January or early February.

In Hera's cabin, Uma was praying to multiple gods and goddess, hoping for guidance or to at least appease the gods and goddess the seven heroes had met during their journey whose temples weren't constructed yet. So far, Hera hadn't gotten upset that her altar was used for other gods and goddesses. It helped that all the Champions prayed to her first and made proper offerings.

"My Patron goddesses Hera. I mean no offense to you, but your queenly altar is the only place I can properly ask for advice from my native gods and you," Uma prayed quietly kneeling on a pillow as she put her offerings on the altar. They consisted of a toy cow and some fruits and a single lit candle. "I offer these foods to God of heroes Krishna and the God of Wisdom Ganesha. To the Goddesses of Mothers and Destruction of the unintelligent, Hera and Kali, I offer you this sacred animal to both of you."

Chanting her mantras in Hindi she asked for guidance on what to do next. She asked for the courage and strength for her fellow Champions to do their duty. She prayed that whatever wrongness was here at camp would be destroyed and that her cabin would be under the watchful eye of the great mother. Finishing her mantras she stood up and blew out the candle.

* * *

Glancing at the clock, she knew she should be heading over to the Hebe cabin for her lesson with Paolo. She hesitated biting her lip wondering if she should continue acting like things were normal. It didn't seem like any of the demigods had felt the wrongness in the air. She didn't want to panic anyone until she had more evidence. Half an hour later, the two linguist were practicing simple sentences. Checking to see if they were pronouncing the words clearly and putting them in the right sentence structure.

"Arrrrre you hur hurt? What ki ki kind of a mor mor moron are you? Take this. It will protect you from hhhhhaaarrrmmm," Paolo enunciated the best he could. Learning English was hard. He really needed to work on his pronunciations.

The sentences they were practicing today were the kind of questions the campers asked often. Well not so much the moron comment, but Paolo had it out for Harley. The kid was planning something called a three legged death race and all his prototype inventions seemed to home in on the Brazilian teen. He swore the eight year old was using him as a test dummy.

From what Maui told his sister Leilani that could entirely be true. Uma kept that fact to herself for now. "Good job Paolo. You're getting better each session. My turn. " _Você está ferido? Que tipo de Morón é você? Aproveitar esta. Ele irá proteger você contra danos."_

Paolo smiled pleased that her accent had gotten better. He started to tell her that when there was pounding on the door. "Uma, are you in there. I've called an emergency meeting for our cabin. We need to talk now!" Wyatt yelled.

Giving Paolo apologetic smile, she got up to go. "We'll pick this up later. Right now my bunk mates need me. Bye!" Paolo waved goodbye wondering what kind of emergency the Champion spoke of.

Upon entering the Hera cabin she saw the others had gathered on the couches with grim expressions on their faces. Taking a seat next to Vitas she waited for Wyatt to explain why he called this meeting. "I was doing my patrol around the woods earlier checking to make sure that everything was okay. That's when I heard the footsteps, distinctly old male footsteps."

The others looked at one another wondering if Wyatt was telling the truth. Perhaps he was mistaken. There was no one at camp that could produce the sounds he was talking about. "Are you certain of what you heard?"

Wyatt nodded. "I went to investigate, but by the time I got to where the sounds were coming from no one was there. I was about to dismiss it, when I found a heel impression in the ground. Someone was in those woods that shouldn't be." He concluded whoever it had been might be connected to the troubles with communication. "I wanted to tell Chiron, but he was resting. Each day seems to drain him more and more." They had all noticed that and saw the toll it was taking on his appearance.

After Wyatt finished talking it was the girls chance to talk. Organizing the history of the camp was being a challenge as Leilani explained. "We could use some help from those Hunters of Artemis. There visits are sporadic, but their narratives could give us a clearer picture on the history of this place." She was a strong believer in oral narratives. It was how her ancestors passed down knowledge and it had worked for hundreds of years. Getting it on paper was just another way to make sure it wasn't forgotten.

Orlanda had stumbled across something about lack of communication from around the time the Gods came to America. In one of the storage closets she had stumbled across several old communication devise, several which came from the same time period. "They had at least twelve telegraph machines alone. Examining them proved they were quickly worn out or some barely used."

It was a strong indicator that in the distant past that some communication problem had occurred. Back then they must have been just as frantic to contact the outside world. They needed to find another way to communicate before all forms of communications faltered.

"Each of us has different way of communicating without the use of a phone or a letter. Our clothes, body language, even dance and music. There must be a way to use that to our advantage," Tino pointed out. They all were good methods, but they needed one that could go long distances without the need of something visual to receive the message. Then there was the person who could understand their message.

Vitas scrunched his head as he tried to think of a way to solve this conundrum. While getting in touch with people outside the camp, their priority had to be getting a message to home before their families got paranoid and called the state police to come looking from them. How he wished they could just teleport from place to place as the gods did. He snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "I have an idea that might work!"

"Then spill it already. We're all ears."

Vitas told them his idea, which had been inspired by the bird chariot that had brought them here. One of Aphrodite's sacred animals was a dove, they belonged to the same family as pigeons. If there were doves around there was good bet that some pigeons had flown over to the sound to set up nests here. Maybe they could find one and teach it to fly to a specific destination.

That could work. Wyatt grandparents did know the truth about the camp. Pigeons could fly fifty miles an hour and could cover up to a thousand miles per day if they wanted to. A short message could be delivered to a specific person because the birds were smart enough to distinguish between different members of their species and humans. They would have to construct the carrier tube, band their bird, and help it learn where to go.

For added insurance, should the message be intercepted by, whoever had been stomping around the woods, Orlanda volunteered to use her Braille typewriter to write the note. Not many sighted people knew how to read Braille or the slight differences between the styles. If their bird came back with another message, then it would mean it was a safe way to send communications.

"Let's get started ASAP. Tino, check around Aphrodite's cabin and the buildings to see if you can find us a pigeon," Uma commanded as she pointed to each person one by one. "Leilani keep digging for historical information. You never know when it could come in handy."

Orlanda sat on her bed typing away several different messages while Vitas went to the Big House to see if the library there had a book on training homing pigeons. Wyatt stated he was going back to the spot in the woods to look for more clues and Uma joined him, quoting safety in numbers. The Champions had high hopes this would work.

* * *

Five days later the Champions were anxiously waiting to see if their pigeon would be coming back. It hadn't taken long for Tino to find a pigeon with Valentina screaming her head off about a "winged rat" in her bunk. Thankfully the bird had been more than happy to fly into an empty bird cage that had been lying around her cabin.

Tino had the bird checked over by Will, (who kept saying that he was a doctor not a vet), who eventually gave the bird a clean bill of health. Vitas cheerfully named their female pigeon Tanzanite, after a gemstone that had been found in Tanzania only a couple decades ago. Training her had taken only a little time, making them suspect that she been a former racing pigeon that had been released.

The woods offered up no new clues and Leilani was still trying to make her way through the haphazard records, getting stuck in the year 1985, with no luck. Without any new facts, Orlanda just typed a simple message, asking Wyatt's grandfather to contact their families to ease their worries. Plus, come up with a good excuse why the twelve mortals wouldn't be returning home for the holidays.

As they ate their lunch, the kept looking up at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of their bird. "Are you sure that Tanzanite knew where to go? Because I'm not sure looking at a map in a book was the best way to teach her were to fly," Orlanda commented, before taking a huge bite of her turkey sandwich.

Vitas replied confidently that he was sure it would work. "The book did say pigeons are smart and have great instincts when it comes to finding their way to their destination." Unbeknownst to the eleven year old, the Korean boy kept rubbing his newly pierced ears nervously.

"I know my grandpa, he'll come through for us. Him and my grandma could never resist a chance to help me out," Wyatt told them confidently. Inside his guts were twisting praying that he wouldn't be let down by a random accident.

At Hestia's table, Xylon was resting comfortably on the floor, when his ears perked up. His little nose started sniffing away and then he let out a squeal. He leaned up on the bench before burying his face into Iggy's side. He kept whining and even nipped the boy.

"Xylon stop it right now! What has gotten into you?" Iggy scolded his pet trying to understand what had gotten the pig so upset when he saw a shadow pass over him from the sky. Looking up, his eyes nearly bulged out of there sockets. "A flying pig? There's a flying pig!"

Indeed in the sky was a very large, hairy, and angry flying pig known as the Clazomenean Boar. With a mighty roar the creature descended its huge bird wings creating a mighty gust that sent the campers flying in all directions. Chiron was calling for his bow as the campers drew their weapons ready to take on the beast.

The Acolytes hid under the tables as the Champions took cover by the side of the pavilion. As far as they knew, there wasn't supposed to be a scheduled monster hunt today. If this was a surprise test of their skills none of them were laughing.

"We need to get to the Hearth now! Those wings could blow out the fire if it gets to close. Stick together and cover each other. Be ready to defend yourself!" Chui commanded. The rest of the Acolytes nodded. This is what they had been preparing for.

Uma gave the same orders to the Champions, but told them their job was to help the demigods heard the monster back to the woods. The sooner it was gone, the better. Despite the advantage of numbers, the Clazomenean Boar had the power and strength to defeat the few demigods here.

The two groups broke cover and headed in opposite directions. The Acolytes raced to the Hearth. They could hear the Boar coming back towards them. Turning around Chui fired his crossbow, the bolt bouncing off the nose of the creature. He ducked, rolled, and ran as the creature attempted to land on him. The beast came to a stop inches from the cabins.

Eunice and Sidonia ran towards the Hearth to protect it. Heather held out her Seax placing herself between the Boar and the young girls. Maui jumped on one wing, trying to drive his Ihe into the wing joint. He got tossed off as the Boar twisted about. Before it started rampaging again, Iggy cracked his signal whip several times getting the creatures attention. "You be a good boy and leave those cabins alone. Come, on you don't belong there."

The Boar lunged at the teen only to have Xylon jump on his snout and biting into the skin. He may not have tusks, but his teeth and hoofs were sharp. No matter how much the giant Boar tried to fling PBP off, he couldn't do it. With a loud roar the beast took to the sky spying the approaching demigods as a good target.

The Boar did a loop de loop finally managing to send Xylon flying towards the ground. The pet squealed in fear thinking he was about to die. Imagine his surprise when the male Champions along with Ares cabin managed to catch him before he crashed into the ground.

The girl Champions were using their weapons to draw the Boar towards them. The irritating pain they caused made the Boar very mad as it dive bombed them again. The girls held their ground ready to fight when the creature exploded into gold dust thanks to a well time shot by Chiron. The centaur had an expression of pride on his face.

"Acolytes and Champions. I am very pleased by your performance. You reacted to the problem appropriately, performing your duties without hesitation. You maintained control over your emotions and helped one another," the centaur told them. He was about to go on about their improved skills and cooperation when he was interrupted by Wyatt.

"Are you telling us, this was all a test? That everyone here was in on it?" he demanded angrily. Judging by their faces it was. On one hand he understood the reason behind the test, but on the other he was pissed off.

"Thanks so much for trusting and believing in us. Of course you couldn't believe that mortals could keep up without seeing us in action. So what if you nearly destroyed the hearth or killed Iggy's pet? Not to mention only killing the beast when it was about to eat the girls." With a look of disapproval he marched past the centaur shoving him hard as he headed for his cabin.

The others looked at one another each had a mixed feeling inside. Politely thanking Chiron for the praise, they headed to their cabins to reflect on what had just happened.

* * *

Wyatt threw the doors open storming over to the couches in the back and flopped on top of them. He wished he could listen to his favorite music from bands like the Hotelier and Plain White T's, but that wasn't an option right now. Instead he twisted his head until he was gazing at the statue of his patroness. "You know sometimes Queenie, I don't know if your feelings are messing with mine or if there the same."

The statue didn't say anything, but its expression change a bit. It raised one eyebrow and narrowed its eyes on the boy as if was offended by something he said. "Sorry, Hera. Note to myself. Don't call you Queenie."

The door opened again and in walked the rest of the cabin. Most of them shared his mood however as head of the cabin Uma had to give him a lecture. "Wyatt, the way you talked to Chiron was very rude. He deserves your respect."The teen ignored her, turning his back to her. Uma would have none of that behavior. She stalked over and forced him to look at her. "I understand that your upset about this impromptu test, but it was something that we needed to prepare for."

"But it's completely out of character for him," Vitas pointed out. He knew from his conversations with Billie, it wasn't unusual to have surprise attacks happen every once and awhile to keep the demigods on their toes, but this felt different. "None of the other cabins have ever been singled out before to see how they would react to a monster attack."

The others agreed and Orlanda revealed something they hadn't been aware of. Her "vision" was different than theirs. What she had "seen" didn't appear to be a real monster. The others looked at her in disbelief. How could it not have been a real monster? The eleven year old shrugged yet kept insisting it wasn't a real creature.

Before they could question her further there was a knock on the door. "Permission to enter?" Chui's voice called out. Uma laughed and replied, "Granted." The Acolytes entered the cabin along with Xylon. Maui and Eunice were both carrying something.

Tino recognized right away what Maui was carrying. "Tanzanite! Over here girl." He whistled a tune and the bird flew out of the native Hawaiian's arms before perching on his shoulder. The little pigeon cooed, happily rubbing her head against his chin.

While they waited for Tanzanite to finish eating her food and resting Leilani asked how her little brother found their cabin's missing bird. "Well we were cleaning up the yard and saw this beauty hunkering under porch scared. It took bribing her to get her to come out."

"We theorize that your bird was about to return here, when the enchanted toy frightened her. Luckily she doesn't seem to be hurt," Sidonia whispered. Hearing the words "enchanted toy" the Champions wondered what she was talking about. That's when Eunice put down a stuffed toy pig with wings sewn on it.

"I was helping the Harpies the other day with sorting the confiscated items from the empty cabins. I remember seeing that toy in a box marked Hecate cabin. The kids loved practicing their magic on stuffed animals. Enchanting them to come to life and terrorize other campers."

"Yesterday, I was at the Big House, consulting with Chiron about one of our school projects. I saw the exact same toy resting near his wheelchair. When he saw me looking at it, he got a bit upset," Heather added to the conversation.

Iggy summed up the whole thing with his brutal honest. "Chiron used us as distraction to keep the demigods from asking questions about the wrongness surrounding us. Contact with the outside world is getting worse, travel is near impossible, something bad is going on."

He blinked his two different colored eyes and looked out the windows towards the other parts of the camp. The demigods seemed to be in better spirits at the moment. Their worries forgotten for a time. The nature spirits were happy again and Chiron looked less stressed. All it had cost the camp was the trust of the Acolytes and Champions.

"We'll confront Chiron later, right now we should check to see if your homing pigeon idea worked," Chui stated calmly. Vitas held Tanzanite gently as Tino opened her message tube. He pulled out a note written in Braille and gave it to Orlanda to determine if it was the same message they sent or a new one.

Orlanda's fingers swiftly tapped the dots as the message formed in her mind. She smiled and announced it had been a success. Tanzanite had managed to get to Wyatt's grandparents! The all let out a yeah of happiness.

"The message translates into short sentences. Got your note. Guardians informed and pacified. Will try to find out what's wrong. Keep him updated." It seemed their way was safe for now. "We should send a reply message in a few days. Our message got through this time, but we have to be careful. Our enemy might discover our friend."

The twelve mortals agreed to keep quiet about what was going on for now. Eventually they would inform Chiron about their ability to contact the outside world. For now it was business as usual.

* * *

It was three days before Thanksgiving. A reply message had been sent just the day before, a short message telling Wyatt's grandpa they had gotten his message and that they would contact him again soon. With this being their last day of classes until next week, it was the perfect chance to talk to Chiron about what he had done.

They were seated downstairs in the main room of the Big House reciting ancient Greek. Chiron was pleased how far they've come. "Excellent, your pronunciation and reading skills have improved greatly. Soon you won't need these lessons anymore." He smiled at all of them very proud of how far they've come.

When he took a closer look though, he could see the signs of mistrust and confusion in the back of their eyes. That's when he noticed the enchanted stuff toy sticking out of Heather's book bag. He broke into a cold sweat and realized they knew what he had regrettably done. "I suppose you want an explanation."

"That would be reasonable. I don't understand Chiron. Everyone here at CHB is a member of a big family. There may be differences and arguments from time to time, but we all come together as one when times are tough, that's what families do," Heather reminded him as she gave back the toy.

"We understand that you've been under dire stress, but using us to distract the rest of the campers from problems you refuse to talk about, isn't very nice," Eunice told him looking at him feeling very disappointed in him. She couldn't even look at him right now; her back turned to him.

Shy Sidonia was having a bit of trouble with getting the words out of her mouth. At last she managed to say, "I've observed over the past few weeks how the stress of keeping a problem all to yourself is causing health issues. You need to share what's going on, not keep it bottled up."

"Yeah maybe we can help! What if Hestia and Hera chose us not only because we represent them the best and gave to offer good will. They could have unconsciously sensed was in the works and that you need some talented mortals to help you out," Maui suggested, jumping up and down excited by this idea. Iggy and Chui tried to settle boy down before he knocked into something and woke Seymour up.

The centaur turned his attention to the Champions. While they had not spoken, he was well versed when information was being withheld from him. They knew something. For good reasons, they hadn't told him anything yet. He couldn't keep his worries to himself anymore. He had to tell them what was going on.

He gestured for them to all sit down as he got comfortable in his magic wheelchair. "As you know the last few years have been very difficult with the War with the Titans and Gaia's Uprising." The kids nodded and urged him to go on.

"Camp Half Blood has always been a safe haven throughout the ages, no matter where it's located. The staff and I, have always done our best to keep the demigods safe and casualties to a minimum. There have always been periods of time when a great danger rose up, but we've handled it before, yet this time, I fear that there is a danger out there unlike anything we've faced before."

"It might help if you actually took good records and organized things better," Leilani muttered under her breath. Orlanda huffed in agreement adding that the history should be kept in both Greek and English, to make it easier to understand.

Uma gave them a look before turning her attention to the centaur. He went into detail about things that were going wrong. Lack of communication, travel outside the boundaries was nearly impossible. Satyrs not checking in and a lack of new campers. He also mentioned that the Oracle of Delphi still wasn't working and without prophecies they gained no insight into their problems.

"You twelve were the last new campers we've had in months. Your unexpected arrival and subsequent time here has helped greatly. Forging new friendships, gaining real respect for the gods, and new ways of fighting. I apologize for using that against you to keep the demigods from realizing that things are bad. It was wrong of me."

The other glanced at one another knowing it was wrong of them to keep things to themselves. A silent agreement passed between them.

"We forgive you Chiron. We want to help you in any way we can. Keeping moral up, finding answers, anything. Just don't break our trust again," Tino told him. After getting a promise from him the Champions told them what they had learned over the past few weeks, with a few helpful comments from the Acolytes.

Chiron was greatly disturbed that it sounded as if new creatures had moved into the woods without being placed there by order. Worse, was the fact someone had broken the barrier to get inside the camp, which shouldn't be possible if they were completely mortal. With the Romans and Greeks friends now, there should be no intrusions anymore.

The Acolytes attempts to help guide the satyrs back home and work to increase the sanctuary effect of Hestia's Hearth had been helpful. Learning that the Champions had found a way to communicate with the outside world brought him great delight, but he understood they would have to keep this quiet for now.

"For now, I want each Champion to buddy up during your patrols. You'll be assigned an Acolyte who will keep the protective flame near you to give you extra protection. Vice versa when the Acolytes perform their duties."

They nodded and Vitas pointed out that they could cut their lessons shorter so they could train more, while keeping up with their projects, to learn more about what was going wrong. He also suggested, with a lot of reluctance, they might as well go with Harley's three legged death race to boost morale.

"Great we'll all be killed by an eight year olds nightmare. We'll at least we'll go out in style," Wyatt stated in a deadpan voice causing everyone to laugh.

* * *

No one was laughing after Harley's three legged death race. It had been the first time the Acolytes and Champions had ventured into the Labyrinth. On a scale of one to ten of the scariest places they had ever encountered? It was a solid fifteen. It was a wonder they had made it back with only scrapes and minor cuts.

When Paolo returned with an amputated arm, Heather had to drag Maui away because he wanted to watch Will use magic surgery to fix it. Of course Sidonia fainted upon the sight of it. It took all of Eunice courage to move. Chui couldn't thank Miranda enough for her help getting the younger Acolytes and Champions back to their cabin.

After the surgery Paolo demanded that Uma translate his words to the rest of the camp. She agreed on the condition she didn't have to translate his curses. They had all gathered in the amphitheater for some sing-alongs to reduce the anger level.

The other campers watched in fascination as Paolo screamed his head off at Harley, then Will, and finally Chiron. No one could understand what he was saying. Uma had to tap him hard on the back to get him to stop. "You know I can't translate if you talk to fast. Okay calm down. I'll tell them."

With a deep breath she started to translate. "Alright I am not going into the amount curses he said. Basically Harley, he wants to break you in half for you coming up with this death race. He does not appreciate having his arm severed by your chain saw Frisbee and he finds you very annoying and crazy. Oh, and he wants to see how well you like it with your arm cut off."

Turning to Will she translated that Paolo was very appreciative for his help. He praised his healing skills, but asked that he wouldn't make it a habit of using him to practice reattachment surgery. As for Chiron he said that if the centaur didn't ground the little menace Paolo would gladly throw him in the lake.

"Well, that's a bit overboard, but I'm sure Nyssa can give her brother a talking too. There's no need to get violent. I'm sure that the next time we do this you will not lose your arm Paolo." The Brazilian uttered something and turned away. Uma didn't need to translate that part. It was clear he said something along the lines of drop dead.

As November turned to December the whole camp was starting to worry. Especially one morning when the camp got up and discovered Cecil Markowitz had disappeared. It was the shouts from the three remaining cabin members woke everyone up.

Heather arrived first at Hermes since she had been stoking the Hearth this morning. "What's the matter? Why are you all screaming?" she asked. The girls were shaking. Looking at Connor pointing at a bed she saw that was empty and looked like it hadn't been slept in last night. That's when she realized someone was missing. "Where's Cecil?"

"I don't know, he was here last night and when we woke up he was gone. You didn't seem leave did you?" Connor asked with a bit of worry. Heather shook her head. No one had been outside when she came out early to perform her duties, not even her Champion protector. Wyatt liked to sleep in.

"Maybe he's somewhere in camp playing a joke. Why don't you all get dressed and we'll do a search of the camp?" she placed a hand on Connor's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find your brother. After all he's a member of this big family too."

They spent the whole morning looking all over the camp for signs of Cecil. The Champions checked the perimeter and found no signs of someone leaving the camp in any direction and found nothing. They checked every place Cecil could be hiding and searched his bunk. There was nothing to tell them where the boy was. The only thing that was suspicious was the candles in the cabin had been destroyed.

"Why would someone destroy candles? I personalized some of these for each member," Sidonia mentioned as she helped Eunice clean the mess up while the remaining members of Hermes were forced to return to their normal activities. Picking up one of the smashed candles she sniffed it enjoying the scent of desert tortoise and crushed crocus with a tiny dash of Cecil himself. "This candle when lit by the fire of Hestia's Hearth provides protection."

"Maybe wherever he was going, he didn't need protection. Maybe he didn't want to cause a fire. Right now all we can do is hope that he'll return."

Only he didn't return and then a week and half latter Ellis Wakefield vanished. To Sherman's surprise Iggy argued with that while Ellis wasn't the nicest person in camp, he would never have left while they were in a crises. More importantly, he wouldn't have left without any weapons or taking his anger out on something.

Again another search was conducted. Tino and Vitas found a torn part of a sock, heading in the direction of the woods. By this time the woods themselves seemed to come to life as if the trees were lashing out at anyone who came near. The sounds of creatures had gotten louder and scarier. The Champions volunteered to search the woods only to be forbidden to go.

What really got the kids worried was that Rachel never showed up during the winter break like she promised. Maui had been very disappointed by this having wanted to meet a real Oracle. He threw himself into work making extra polish out of ashes to make sure the Armory weapons and arms were clean and effective.

Tanzanite had been sent out twice and returned safely. On her second run she had brought back a message saying that they had attempted to mail a message for Camp Jupiter through one of their retired soldiers living outside the camp. The letter had been lost in the mail.

The third run had been asking if there missing campers had caused a scene in the outside world. Again the answer was no. This was mixed news. While it strongly indicated the missing boys were still somewhere in the camp boundaries, it didn't completely eliminate the possibility they had left and not be detected yet.

On New Year's Eve, everyone in camp made a silent resolution. They would find their missing friends. Learn the truth about what was going on, and the face of their dangerous enemy.


	6. The God

It was a cold January morning, the sun had not even risen yet. The campers were still cuddled under their blankets. No one was aware that today would be one that changed the course of Camp Half-Blood's destiny. No one would even guess who would show up by the day's end.

Chui was the first to awaken, it was his turn to tend to the Hearth this morning before offering prayers to his patroness. Sitting up in bed he stretched out his arms and let out a big yawn. One good thing about living in Hestia's cabin is you always had a fire to keep you snuggly warm. He got out of bed, preparing to go to the bathroom to get a quick bath in before his duties when he noticed something.

Inching closer to their heath, he saw the soot laid out on the mantle. It spelled out a short message. _"Sanctuary fire burns brightest when used to protect the weak from the strong abusers of power."_ His mind flashed back two months ago when he prayed to Hestia for guidance. Today, she answered him! This was a big deal.

"Everyone wake up, wake up right now! You got to see this," Chui half yelled. He started shaking everyone awake and within two minutes they were up and out of bed wondering why their leader had gotten them up this early. When Chui showed them the message, it sent their minds spiraling.

"I don't believe it, how is this possible? All lines of communication have been down. Are we sure this is a message from Hestia?" Eunice asked cautiously. The chubby little kid had learned not to get her hopes up. Not to mention to be on her guard.

Heather peered closer at the message before inspecting everyone's fingers. None of them showed signs of soot on them. A quick trip to the bathroom revealed nobody washed off soot in there last night. So this was confirmation that the message had to come from a divine source.

"What do you think the message means? We know that in the ancient times the central hearth in any city brought sanctuary and protection for travelers. What does that part about strong abusers of power mean?" Sidonia asked the group. Studying the message again she wondered if it was a warning, a piece of advice, or possibly, did she dare think it, a prophecy?

No it couldn't be a prophecy, at least not from an Oracle. Part of them problems around here was no one could see the future anymore. Hestia wasn't in charge of prophecies, Apollo was. How had she left a message if the gods weren't talking to mortals? Maybe she had gotten help from the one true God?

Iggy put a hand on the Jewish girl's shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. It was as if he could read her mind. "I know what you're thinking. However Hestia got the message here doesn't matter. It's what we do with it that's important now."

"Should we go tell Chiron about the message now? Is that old geezer up right now," Maui inquired. He got a slight smack to the back of his head for the old geezer comment from Heather. He pouted, but didn't say another word.

"We'll tell him at breakfast. For now let's get ready for the day okay? The Champions should be coming over soon for us to help escort them around the camp perimeter."

* * *

As soon as Chui finished saying that there was a knock on the door and all of Hera's Champions entered. None of them were dressed, only wearing warm jackets. Seeing the Acolytes gathered around their hearth, it was clear something happened here.

"Did you get a strange message to?" Uma asked kindly. The stood aside so she could read it. "When we woke up this morning we found a message at the base of Hera's statue. It was written in cuckoo feathers, but not in English. It was a mix of ancient Greek and Hindi. I believe the Queen of the Heavens got a message to us with some help."

Vitas told them what the message said, eager to help anyway he could. _"A true champion is not someone who does great deeds, but helps the lost whether they deserve it or not."_

"We have no idea what it means. The part about the deeds confuse us, considering that we were chosen to perform great deeds in Hera's name," Leilani adding her two cents. "Why do goddess have to be so hard to understand?"

"Because they wouldn't be goddess if they did make sense," Wyatt joked earning some laughs.

Orlanda rolled her blind eyes and remarked they could figure out the message latter. They had a patrol to get to and she wasn't going to do it in her pajamas. Without warning Tino ran past her causing her to trip. She wanted to yell at him, but when they all gathered on the porch and saw their friend trying to calm down Billie they knew another person had vanished.

It was mid afternoon when something big happened. With another camper's disappearance, Chiron had asked for an extra patrol. Tino and Sidonia had been assigned to walk the border next to the woods. Sidonia was carefully observing the woods, searching for the first sign of trouble. She held her lantern high in the air letting the firelight brighten the woods next to them. Shivering a bit she fingered her club on her side wondering if she would have to use it.

"You look terrified Sidonia. Sorry about you having to patrol with me. I know you rather be working on your candles or delivering the latest batch of de-skunk powder to the stables."

Sidonia told him it was okay and that she was glad to be out here with him. He was one her best friends and with him carrying that _macahuitl_ , she knew they would be safe. As she glanced at the woods once more she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She quickly prayed to her God asking him for courage right now.

As they marched towards the center part of the woods, directly in line with the amphitheater, they suddenly heard loud shouting. It was if hundreds of loudspeakers were going off at once as they all spoke different things. Sidonia gripped her ears as Tino stood his ground trying to not let the voices drive him mad. Planting his feet he looked into the woods astonished as the trees bent to the sides creating a path.

Tugging Sidonia up, they both saw a pair of teens running towards them. To be more precise a girl around their age was dragging a delirious sixteen year old boy who kept spouting nonsense. Whoever they were, they needed help.

The Acolyte girl jumped into the woods swaying her lantern back and forth. She chanted an ancient prayer asking Hestia to give her strength to keep the fire going and spread its protective light. The figures drew closer yet the branches on the tree kept coming down on them.

Tino was on it. Maneuvering around the tree roots he slashed his weapon, the obsidian stones cutting off the tangling branches. When the duo got within range, he grabbed the crazed sixteen year old and started pulling him too. "Sidonia cover us!"

"Got you Tino!" Slowly the Acolyte backed away covering their tracks. The trees hesitated with the sacred fire so close. At last they exited the woods and made it halfway to the amphitheater for s'mores snack time. "We need some help here!" she shouted. The others must have heard her because they came running.

Upon seeing them the delirious boy finally gave a straight answer as he grinned like an idiot. "Oh, hi! I'm Apollo!" Then he crashed to the ground in exhaustion as the girl next to him kept telling him to wake up only he didn't. Now this was certainly a change of events.

* * *

It took twenty minutes and Nico threatening to release zombies to get order reestablished. Chui thanked the boy for his help. Standing on the stage he addressed everyone at camp. "I'm sure we're all stunned by what's happened here. We all have questions right now, but we can't form a mob and sack Apollo's cabin when Will is trying to heal his godly father! Right now we need to focus on different matters of state. Understand?"

The campers nodded and said they understood. Keeping their attention on him he continued to direct them. "First things we should do is make sure that the unexpected arrival of Apollo and…."

"Meg McCaffrey. I'm twelve," the rhinestone cat eye glasses girl stated bluntly. She looked at each of them as if she was sizing them up. Maybe looking for a family resemblance to someone perhaps?

"Thank you Meg. As I was itinerant, it's important that we make sure nothing followed the new arrivals here. So can everyone check their bunks and then check the equipment and buildings to make sure everything is where it's supposed to be. Once you're done report back here to the green for further instructions." Everyone nodded and headed off in different directions.

Chui let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. This was the first time he really addressed the camp and acted on his domain of stately order. He was pleased with how well he handled it. Hopefully his orders would keep them busy long enough to give Will the time and space he needed.

He looked at his fellow Acolytes, who were waiting for orders on what to do next. Sidonia volunteered to bring some of her god base scent candles to Apollo's cabin to help Apollo recover with aromatherapy. Getting a nod she hurried in the direction of their cabin.

Eunice volunteered to go to the Big House to update Chiron about what was going on. Iggy, Xylon, and Maui agreed to get everything ready for the welcoming ritual and Heather said she could give Meg the tour so Chui could keep his eye on the situation.

Putting on a bright smile, Heather turned her attention to Meg. Both gave the other a look over trying to figure the other one out. Something about Meg, it rattled Heather, but she shook off. "Welcome Meg to Camp Half-Blood, a safe place for modern day demigods. I'm Heather Tebra, Hestia's Acolyte of Family. I'll be giving you the tour and prepped for your welcoming ritual."

"Hestia has kids? I thought she was just an old maid," Meg questioned. She looked at her rings for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Heather.

"Hestia is our…sort of godmother. My cabin mates and I, follow the ancient ways of honoring her. Carrying out our duties and rituals in her name. We promote her importance you could say. Please follow me."

Heather led Meg around the camp pointing out the different places and explaining a bit of the history of the place. "We have many activities you might be interested in. There's archery, arts and crafts, and you'll love music class in the amphitheater. You also might be interested in the school portion here."

"School at camp? That's an interesting concept," she said popping the last word. "I can't remember the last time I was in a classroom."

"I assure you, once your parentage is known you'll get a schedule for when you have classes. Why don't we meet some of the other campers? After all, everyone here is part of one big family."

Meg proved to be an unusual child. As soon as she was introduced to Sherman and Connor, she kicked the former in the crotch and the later she poked in the eyes. Heather had to drag her away; apologizing profusely to the boys, while admonishment the girl about the wrongs she did. After that, Heather kept her away from anyone.

They headed out to the green towards the Half-Blood Hill. "So, when did you meet Apollo? Where are you from? I come from a small town in Illinois and I have to loving parents. My pet rabbit Harriet is back home."

Meg stopped and bit her lip, the girl really didn't want to talk. Just muttered something about a stepfather. As for her and Apollo she started telling her about everything that happened since she claimed his services in an alleyway. After the tour was completed Meg was escorted to Hestia Hearth where the boys had finished setting up everything for the Ritual of Xenia, meaning hospitality between guests and visitors or welcoming a new member to the family. A lot of campers were watching from their cabins.

The boys were both wearing their cleanest robes with their hoods over their heads. Xylon was freshly cleaned, sitting by his master's side. The symbol of Hestia hung from his collar. Heather whispered in Meg's ear what she had to do before nudging her forward.

Maui greeted her. "Welcome stranger, we are honored to have you here with us. Please allow me to escort you to the Hestia Hearth." Maui guided Meg to the Hearth before he bowed to her and she did the same. "Stranger, might I know your name and where you come from?"

"I'm Meg McCaffrey of Manhattan."

"Did you come here seeking sanctuary and hospitality from those who wish you harm?"

"Yes," she said. The Acolytes assembled felt a strange twinge when she spoke that. Almost like she was hiding something. Still the ritual must be completed. The twelve year old was told kneel and place her hands on the Hearth.

Now it was Iggy's turn. He asked Meg if she would follow the laws of Xenia, to respect the bond between host and guest. To contribute as member of this family. Finally, to protect her new family and home from dangers, both in and out. She agreed.

Iggy took his lantern and slowly swung it around the girl's head. "Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, please welcome our new family member in this humble home. Let your sacred flames protect her from harm. We humbly ask you to help find her godly parent. Accept this simple sacrifice in your name."

As he finished speaking Xylon tiptoed over to the Hearth, lifted his upper half of his body and deposited some of his treats into the fire before backing away. The PBP seemed very pleased with himself and joined the cheers as the ritual was complete.

* * *

Eunice, who had given her report to Chiron, was tidying up the living room knowing that Apollo and Meg would be coming to the Big House soon. Vitas was there as Champion represented to meet with Apollo knowing he would have questions about them. Since he was the Champion of the Heavens, he would be a good judge on the state of mind of the god.

"Are you nervous about this? I mean we're meeting a whole god so to speak. Hestia's essences was gentle and kind to me. Hera's essences had to fight your parents to get you here. Will he be like that?" Eunice asked quietly.

"I have a strong feeling that he's not really going to pay attention to us. Still, we must give him proper respect due to his social status by birth," Vitas said reciting a common Korean belief. On the outside Vitas clothes, jewelry, and messy hair were signs of rebellion, in his mind he still tried to act within his culture's traditional beliefs.

The door started to open as the two mortals stood up straight. Chiron was escorting the teenage Apollo and preteen Meg into the living room. The two mortals hid a smile as they saw the slightly beat up curly haired teen Apollo. He sure didn't look like the statues in museums. On the bright side, he was wearing clothes!

"Hello Chiron, I finished baking some fresh cookies and Vitas made some tea. Would you and your guests like some?"

Meg stopped wandering around the room. "You guys have first class service here? I'll have some cookies and tea." The preteen flopped onto the couch, her legs dangling on the armrest. Eunice presented her with the tea and cookies only to wince when Meg started tossing the crumbs everywhere.

In the meantime Vitas saw the prank that Julia and Alice pulled on Chiron's fake legs. Really did those girls have no shame? "Give me a minute, and I'll get your extras."

"Thank you child. Once you're done please feel free to sit down with us. I'm sure Apollo is curious to know about why you're wearing a polos and Eunice a shawl and hood."

 _"Not really, if they were important they would have been outside the Me cabin worshiping me. What did my children mean when they said that these new campers could relate to me?"_

Vitas clutched his head letting out a little groan. Chiron turned to ask him if he was okay. "I'm fine, just a little headache." The centaur nodded returning to his talk with his new guests only to have Eunice begging Meg to sit down again and stop messing with the vines. "I just cleaned the living room!"

Meg fell to the floor unscathed spreading crumbs everywhere. She flopped back down on the couch looking bored. After a quick legs replacement, the kids sat down. Chiron looked at Apollo and asked if he knew anything about why Dionysus had not returned, only for the former god to admit he couldn't remember the last six months.

"So what is your crises?" Apollo asked. "You have the same look Cassandra had in Troy, or Jim Bowie at the Alamo-as if you're under siege."

"You know that during the war with Gaia, the Oracle of Delphi stopped receiving prophesies. In fact all known methods of diving the future suddenly failed."

As Apollo absorbed that information Vitas got a pained expression on his face. While Meg asked her questions about the Oracle and why it mattered if it worked or not, Eunice pretended to be waiting patiently for her turn to speak. In fact, she was noting Meg's behavior and her emotional responses. Something about that girl reminded Eunice of herself. Her glasses couldn't hide the look in her eyes that something traumatic had occurred to Meg.

Vitas nudged his friend signaling her to pay attention. It was time to introduce themselves. "This is Eunice Tanner, Acolyte of Domestic Arts and Vitas Choi, Champion of the Heavens. They, along with their five bunk mates, respectfully of Hestia and Hera's cabins, were the last new people to arrive before our struggles started."

Apollo's eyes bulged out and he laughed a bit. "Hestia and Hera? Surely you must be joking. My Aunt Hestia is a confirmed bachelorette, she even turned me down! Besides Hera having campers is ridiculous. She'd never give birth to a demigod child. Really, who are these kids and why did mine think it was important to meet them?"

Eunice was aghast by his behavior and threw a dirty towel at the teenager and looked at Meg with a hurt expression. She had power over the god-boy, couldn't she tell him to stop laughing?

"Lord Apollo, we're not a joke. While Zeus was thinking about your punishment, our patroness, Hestia and Hera, wished to contribute goodwill and followers to perform duties in their names as was done in the ancient past That is why we are here at Camp Half-Blood."

Vitas stood up straight and tried to look imitating. "We were chosen by their different essences to best represent them. They trusted twelve mortal kids and sent us here with only a tiny blessing, enough to get into camp and see through the Mist. Perhaps one day we'll discover some hidden power, until then we can keep up no problem."

"Which means the Acolytes and Champions are the perfects guides to help you with your mortal condition. They've been quite helpful during this time of crises…" Chiron continued to speak about the difficulties they were having and the importance of solving the recent troubles believing it was connected with Apollo's servitude to Meg and the Oracle.

Shortly after the conversation was over it was time for dinner. The mood was somber. People were glancing at the Apollo table. They were scared and curious. When not looking at Apollo, attention was focused on Meg. Her appetite really was appalling. You didn't have to be a genius to see that Connor and Sherman were plotting revenge against the girl.

The Acolytes couldn't keep their eyes off Meg. There was something off about her and it was frustrating them to no end. Meg was the first new camper they welcomed. Sure she was a bit unusual and crazy. That wasn't the reason why they couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Nor why they were the only ones who seem to pick up on this.

Taking a bite out of his hot dog, Chui leaned in a bit before talking softly. "Anyone else feeling weird vibes from our new camper?" The others all sighed with relief knowing they weren't alone.

"It's weird, I was excited that we finally be able to welcome a new demigod to CHB. I thought it would be like meeting my adopted baby brother for the first time, an instant connection. When I looked at her first time, I didn't feel that." Putting his food down, he wondered if it was because he wasn't a real member of the family here.

"This is just her first day here. We don't even know who her godly parent is. Maybe learning whose she's related to will help us feel like family," Heather pointed out. They hadn't been well received when they had come here so it was up to them to make Meg feel good about her new home.

Sidonia and Eunice shared a look. Both girls had noticed the strange behavior coming from the street girl. They knew that many demigods got diagnosed with ADHD or anger aggression issues. From Sidonia's observations and Eunice instincts they believed that Meg might be suffering from some sort of emotional imbalance caused by a traumatic event. Her trust issues were a bit out of proportion.

While Iggy was saving his judgement for later Maui of course thought she was so cool for her dumpster diving habits. Hearing about her accuracy with garbage throwing, he wondered if she'd like to train with him. She was cute in her own way. Seemed like someone was developing a crush on the new girl.

At the Champions table, each one of them kept feeling minor headaches. Orlanda complained her Mist "vision" kept messing with her anytime she looked at the Apollo cabin. Random thoughts appeared in their minds and Wyatt was being crushed by someone's large feelings of egotism, narcissism, and self-pity. It wasn't unusual for Wyatt to pick up on Hera's emotions on a given day, but these ones were more masculine in thought.

"You don't think that message was about Apollo's arrival was it?" he whined as he banged his head on the table. It did nothing to relieve the pain. "If it is I don't think I can stand it for much longer." Uma took off her dupa and piled it on the table so her friend wouldn't crack his skull open.

"If I have one more stray thought about a golden table that sings music or turning us into personal servants I'm going to scream," Leilani vowed. She was already pulling out her sling ready to use it on the mortal god when Tino stopped her.

"I'm not appreciating hearing pop songs played on a lyre in my head either, but what if attacking him makes it worse? Until we can answer that question, I think our best hope is to put up a mental wall in our mind."

"Easier said than done mama's boy. Ugh okay I'll try, but if this is still happening tomorrow morning then I'm sticking my cane when it don't shine on him got it?" They all agreed to that and went back to dinner. They had strong hunch that Meg was about to be claimed and it could get messy.

It turned out they were right. When the chaos broke out with the appearance of Meg's kapros summon Peaches attacking Connor and Sherman, the other demigods had tried to kill the crazed grain spirit. The Champions had moved in to protect Meg only to be shocked by her golden swords. When Apollo announced Meg's heritage everyone was even more surprised. The street urchin was a daughter of Demeter? How much weirder were things going to get?

* * *

At breakfast the next morning Sidonia couldn't help, but observe her Champion friends looked exhausted. Each of them was sitting with their friends from the other cabins this morning. Probably asking about what everyone else thought about last night's events. Wyatt was practically begging Will for a prescription for pain relievers, while being hostile to Apollo.

It was the same with her cabin mates. Maui was sitting with Harley talking about who knows what. There was Nico and Eunice chatting at the Hades table which was a huge surprise. Stranger was that Iggy was eating with Sherman trying to be nice as Xylon ate his breakfast under the table. Heather sat with the Hermes table trying to make Connor feel better.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the mortal god got up and left heading over towards Meg. Sidonia hesitated for a minute. She could see that Valentina was working on her newest creation for their partnership. Over the last few months Sidonia had gotten a bit more comfortable being a model and mannequin. Valentina had learned if she didn't pile a ton of clothes on her or make her change an entire outfit, Sidonia was completely okay with helping out with one or two pieces. She started to head in Valentina's direction, then stop, and walked in the direction of the new demigod.

Seeing them talking Sidonia interrupted politely. "Excuse me, but do you mind if I eat with you? We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Sidonia Silverstine, Acolyte of the Hearth. I helped you two get out of the woods remember? It's always…nice… to make new…friends."

Apollo opened his mouth to tell her off when Meg gave him the order to be quiet. "Sure, you can join us and your friend too. She looks like she's buzzing for attention." Uma then joined the trio sitting down near the retaining wall. She gave held out her hand which Meg shook. She waited a few seconds for Apollo to shake hers, but he looked confused.

"Don't worry, in my culture it is rare for girl and boys to shake hands with one another. I'm Uma Naballie, Head Councilor of Hera's cabin. I'm the Champion of Marriage."

" _Hera sure knows how to pick them. The girl isn't bad looking, but come on marriage? It's just a word. No one ever has a happy marriage."_

Ignoring the words bouncing in her head, Uma asked about the mortal god's health and how he was settling in. She patiently endured his complaining only the twitch of her lips showed that she wasn't enjoying this. Hera's essence had been commanding and stubborn, yet she had the decency not to talk like she was the only one that mattered, when making her offer.

"Is he always like this?" Sidonia whispered to Meg.

"As far I can tell yes. He really doesn't get the concept of cooperation with me," the girl said tossing a waffle in the air for a passing harpy to catch. "What's in the bag?"

"Just my school books and some light reading. Here, I thought you might like this." Meg too the scented candle jar from her and looked it over. She gave it a sniff and started to sneeze. The girl quickly put the candle away. "Sorry, I didn't know the Demeter scented candles would make you sneeze."

"It's alright, maybe you can make one that reminds me of the alleyways of Hell's Kitchen." Sidonia raised an eyebrow at that. Why did she want that particular scent? Even if she had been a street child shouldn't she want a scent that reminded her of a nicer place?

* * *

A bell started ringing signaling it was time for the mortal kid's school time. At the same time Sherman was yelling for those schedule for morning workout to get over to him. Uma got up to go only for Apollo to grab her sleeve. "Excuse me what is going on? Why are you heading out of the pavilion?"

"It's school time for the Acolytes and my fellow Champions. Our guardians think this is an alternative outdoor school and we need to take lessons. Don't worry, you'll have school sessions with the other members of your cabin tomorrow afternoon. Bye!" There was a small smile of satisfaction on her face as she headed to school to their music lesson. Music had a way of making them all relax. Besides they were in for a special treat today. "I can't believe Woodrow finally agreed to let me and Chiara, put on our little hula show. Chiara's really improved since I started giving her lessons. I hope everyone likes it."

"I'm sure they will enjoy it. It also gives the rest of us to have a chance to play unusual instruments. I hope that Woodrow didn't eat the gourd," Tino commented. Reaching the amphitheater they weren't really surprised to see Apollo there. He looked absolutely bored and Woodrow was standing as far away as possible.

"Wasn't there a story about Apollo who maimed a satyr for thinking he was the best musician?" Tino asked. The others nodded and took their seats. Woodrow took one last look at Apollo before starting class.

"Today is a special day. Today, Leilani and Chiara will be putting on a short hula and we'll be playing traditional instruments. Learning to play music from natural sources will help you learn to listen closely to how those sounds come together to make music."

While Chiara and Leilani got changed, the others started picking up instruments. Austin chose a _'ulī'ulī_ gourd rattle, containing ali'ipoe seeds with colored feathers at the top. Valentina picked up a pair of _kālā'au_ before moving to left side of the stage. Damien and Wyatt chose the _Ipu pa'I_ and _Pū_ before sitting on the right. Uma and Orlanda picked up their _'Ili'ili_ before joining Valentina. Tino and Vitas got different gourd drums.

"Please, Lord Apollo, pick an instrument and join the other boys. They'll teach you the chant."

" _Why am I not the star of this little show? I was humiliated during Sherman's boot camp. Maybe I can tune this acoustic guitar to change the rhythm to something I like."_

Wyatt started to cough and Damien helpfully hit him on the back. Thanking him, the kids started to play their instruments. The percussion was spot on and the whistling instruments did make a natural tune. Leilani and Valentina appeared on the stage. As soon as the musicians started chanting they started to dance.

The girls slid their right feet forward then slid back on their left. Slowly they started to spin, raising their arms high in the air reaching to the sky. Gently they swayed back and force before turning counterclockwise. They bent down pushing their hands in front of them. The chanting got louder as they moved a bit faster.

The music was interrupted when a new scale started playing. Everyone was thrown off rhythm as the sounds of the acoustic guitar got louder. Everyone stopped doing anything. They all were sucked into Apollo's playing. The sound was beautiful as the demigods abandoned their instruments and started to cry. The Champions were fighting against the music. The sound was pleasant and joyful, but their minds couldn't handle it. Strange images and feelings started to overwhelm them. People's faces, lust and pride, and crazy thoughts. It was too much, they needed to counter it.

Just then the B string on the guitar broke releasing everyone from the spell they had been put under. "That was so beautiful, I've never heard music like that before," Valentina cried. Chiara was also blubbering like a fool asking the ex-god if he could play something with a bit of romance. Austin was trying to high five him and Damien was asking if the ex-god could sign the guitar.

"How could I mess up? I feel tired after playing an instrument? No this can't be happening. How can I play again if I'm a flawed instrument?" Apollo whimpered softly. He was looking at his trembling hands in disbelief.

"I don't know, maybe if you weren't so selfish and a stage hog, that might not have happened," Wyatt snapped directing his comment towards the ex-god.

The others students gasped. "Wyatt don't talk to Apollo like that! It's rude, cruel and…"

"The truth and you know it Austin," Leilani hissed at him. She got right into the young musician's face and took his conch whistle away from him, before poking the kid in the stomach. "It took weeks of practicing hard and painfully choreographic this hula. It took at least two weeks to make the costumes, backdrop and help Woodrow make the instruments."

Tino noticed that Apollo was listening to the conversation. He didn't need to have any weird feelings to know what the former god was thinking. Storming over to the stage, he snapped his fingers in front of Apollo making him look at him. Holding up his hands he stated calmly. "The world does not revolve around you no matter how much you think it does. You're mortal now and that means learning to behave like one. It was Leilani and Chiara's time to shine not yours. Here's a valuable life lesson try putting others needs before your own when the situation calls for it."

Turning away from Apollo, Tino asked Woodrow if there was still time to let someone perform on stage. "There is, but I really think that we should let Lord Apollo show us that musical number again."

"Sorry Woodrow, but I think my bestie here is finally ready to showcase his talent," Damien called out. Wyatt was prepping his voice for singing something. By the looks of it, he was slightly embarrassed about what he was going to sing, but it must have been really important. Damien directed everyone to new instruments. After restringing the guitar and a change in backdrop he told his best buddy it was time.

"I dedicate this song to my patroness Hera, my friends and family, and lastly to Apollo hoping he learns something from this. I won't be singing one of my favorite tunes. Instead I'll be singing one I learned from my six year old next door neighbor, called, "My Past is not Today."

" _Power, was all I desired (I desired, all I desired). But all that grew inside me, was the darkness I acquired. When I began to fall and I lost the path ahead. That's when your friendship found me and it lifted me instead._

 _Like a phoenix burning bright in the sky. I'll show there's another side to me you can't deny. I may not know what the future holds, but hear me when I say. That my past does not define me. 'Cause my past is not today._

 _Ambition is what I believed. Would be the only way to set me free. But when it disappeared and I found myself alone. That's when you came and got me and it felt like I was home._

 _Like a phoenix burning bright in the sky. I'll show there's another side to me you can't deny. I may not know what the future holds, but hear me when I say. That my past does not define me. 'Cause my past is not today."_

Wyatt finished and gave a bow. Looking at Apollo, he could hear the former god's voice in his head. He thought that the song was a bit childish, but it seemed to apply more to Hera then himself. He was the most loved god of all. He was so shiny and bright he couldn't have a darkness about himself. "Looks like music is the one language he doesn't share with us."

* * *

Archery class wasn't much better. Kayla was in charge of the class and she was busy helping the others with their skills; to focus on her father at the moment. "Uma, your stance needs to a bit wider. Holly and Laurel stop fighting!"

Vitas and Orlanda were on either side of Apollo. Out of their cabin, the two of them were the best archers. Vitas pulled the string back focusing his sight on the bulls-eye. Taking a deep breath he let his arrow go. It flew straight true and hit the bulls-eye. He was pleased with himself. Seeing the mortal god about to shoot he spoke up. "Apollo, you have to wait your turn. Orlanda has to shoot first."

"Why? I'm ready and next in line I should be firing next. I'm the God of Archery?" He said haughtily. He was holding that bow tightly, giving the boy an unimpressed look. He started to aim when Kayla came over and gently pushed his arms down.

"Wait a minute Dad. Clear the field everyone! Sherman can you please turn on the audio sensors?" The others backed up as the board the blind girl was in front of started to beep.

Orlanda stood there for a few minutes centering herself. Kayla gave her the all clear. The eleven year old placed her arrow expertly gently pulling back the arrow only pausing to make sure the string felt taunt. Listening to the audio sensors and feeling the wind, she adjusted her stance. Taking a deep breath she let the arrow loose. She hit the bulls-eye dead center. The beeping changed letting her know where she hit it. "I did it! Yes!"

"Good job Orlanda! All that practice if finally showing. That's the fifth bulls-eye you made this week. Return to the field, resume practice. Go ahead Dad."

" _I can certainly do better than a lucky shot by a blind mortal girl."_ Orlanda gasped as that thought hit her full force. She bristled and spun on her heels. How dare he think of her as worthless because of her blindness? No one at the camp thought that about her. She wasn't going to let him get away with treating her like her family did. In her rage, she didn't realize a few minutes past. Apollo was complaining that he didn't need practice. That nothing Kayla said was helping him. "No," Apollo stated bitterly. "No, it's too painful. I swear oomph!"

Before he could complete his vow Orlanda rammed her cane tip into mortal god's diaphragm leaving him gasping for air. There was the sound of something ripping, then a thud, and a finally muffled cries meaning that the mortal god was gagged.

Kayla started to yell at the Champions about how they were treating her father, when Vitas interrupted her. "Did you really want him to finish that sentence? If he continued he would have condemned himself to the leaving himself vulnerable because of the River Styx's power."

Sensing her friend's uncertainty Orlanda knelt down and picked up the fallen bow. Her ears and quick flash of her Mist "vision" helped her white eyes look directly into her father's own. "Do you know why I'm the Champion of Glory?" When he didn't respond she continued. "It's because I never give up. I don't cry or complain about how unfair it is that I'll never see. Being blind can be a hindrance, but it's pushed me further than I thought I go. I challenge myself each day, through hard work and practice to become the best athlete I can be. Being gifted at something doesn't always means you're the best. Until you're challenged you'll never grow."

Vitas placed his hands on the God of Archery's shoulders. "There's a big difference between being the best and being the best possible you. If you got over your hubris and stopped wallowing in self-pity, you might actually learn that what you call a curse, is a blessing in disguise. Being mortal right now might actually teach you to be a better god."

They removed the gag and let Apollo up. He was silent, no stray thoughts seeping out. It seemed he was actually thinking about what they said. That's when Uma came over with a confused Sherman asking if she knew where Chiron was. She explained what happened to Sherman when she rescued him from going into the woods. A light bulb went off in Apollo's head as he took off heading towards the center of the camp. A horn blew alerting the others it was time for lunch then the three legged death race.

* * *

Before the race the Acolytes suggested that they mix things up with the champions, different ages, but same genders. It would a way to keep an eye on each other. Bonus points, they could keep track of the newcomers while avoiding attacks from other teams.

"Remember Maui, don't go running off in any direction without a clear plan. I know you're naturally curious, but the Labyrinth is still a dangerous place if you're not careful," Leilani informed her younger brother.

"Don't cramp my style sis? I'm not going to get lost in architectural wonder of the ancient world!" Maui promised his sister. He was hopping up and down as Vitas checked their supplies once more.

"We've got a first aid kit, flashlights, two bottles of water with some granola, a change of clothes, and finally weapons including one signal flair." It was quite a heavy bag, but he managed to balance it on his back. "Let's head to the start line."

"He'll be fine Leilani, your brother is a bit of a handful, but does have a knack for this kind of thing," Sidonia pointed out to the Champion of Womanhood. Seeing her partner counting to ten, the younger teen blew her bangs out of her face again. Cleaning her glasses, she spotted Meg talking with Apollo. Once again something seemed off about the way Meg was acting.

The two girls strolled over to the unique pair catching the tail end of their conversation. "I—I can't remember." Apollo was grinding his teeth in frustration and hitting his head with his palms. "I _should_ know. I should be able to tell you instantly! But the information…it's almost eluding me on purpose!"

"That happens sometimes," Meg said. "You'll think of it."

"But it never happens to me! Stupid human brain! I…" Sidonia tripped on some grass and stumbled into the teenage god who went face first in the ground. _"Could this day get any worse for me?"_

Leilani helped the god up as Sidonia apologized profusely. She asked if the two newcomers wanted to race together. They could cover more ground and watch each other's back. "Thanks for asking, but my servant boy and I here can handle ourselves just find. Good luck."

Turns out everyone needed that because Harley just let them drop into the Labyrinth with little warning. The only rule seemed to be find the three golden apples as fast as you can then get back to meadow alive, if there _was_ a way back to the meadow. The girl's found themselves in a dark tunnel with no light anywhere.

"Give me a second, I'll have some light for us." Sure enough some candle light started to glow in her lantern. The scent it was emitting was strong and bit smelly. "Mix of centaur sweat and dirty socks. Only made it in case we got lost in here. The smell will linger for a long time."

Leilani pulled her hair around her nose trying to block the noxious scent from chocking her. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a shiny rock from her hula earlier. Bending down, she marked the right corner with the symbols of Hera and Hestia, side by side underscoring the time.

"We need to get moving if we want out of here." Leilani took a deep breath trying to orient herself. Her ancestors had crossed great spans of sea by the stars and the winds. Down here, there was nothing to guide her. "Hera helps us. Hopefully another team will find Apollo and Meg." Going right, the girls went down the right corridor.

Some distance away Kayla and Austin were making their way through the underground tunnels unaware they were being followed. "Play your sax again. We can figure out where to go next by listening to the echoes."

"Good idea sis." A beautiful tune played bouncing off the walls. Kayla listened and then dragged her brother with her. The two of them ended up in a warren of some kind. The last golden apple they needed was nestled among some roots. Taking aim Kayla shot an arrow with a line attached to it. She snagged the apple and pulled it back to her.

"We got it, all three apples! Let's head back."

"I'm with you this place is giving me the creeps. I want to get back to camp and check on Dad." The two kept walking until suddenly they came to what they thought was a brick wall. They fell to the ground losing their grips on their items. A loud stomp was heard and then a shattering as the sax and bow broke in several places.

"What is going on?" Kayla asked the darkness. She pulled her brother to his feet. The darkness shifted in front of them as beams of sunlight poked through the warren wall. Standing there coldly, were two seven feet, silvery blond hair, three hundred pounds of pure muscle men in armor looked ready to break them in two.

The brother sister team took off running only for a giant spear to collapse the ceiling ahead of them. Both of them ducked and rolled as two shields were tossed at their heads. A light from a narrow groove in the dirt looked like it was their only chance. Before they could make it the _Germani_ fists struck the back of the two demigods' heads knocking them out. Blood started to drip out of the site of the punch. Without a word they picked up the kids and started marching back into the darkness.

Two minutes later, Vitas and Maui descended from their small ledge having witnessed the whole thing. Maui was ready to use his own _Ihe_ on the two warriors, but Vitas had held him back. The Korean boy listened carefully, making sure the duo wasn't coming back. "We need to do something. We should go get help."

"If we leave now, we may never find them again. The Labyrinth is too big and chaotic. We should follow them," the Acolyte boy insisted.

"There's two of us against Confucius knows how many soldiers up there? For all we know those two could be the source of the weirdness in the woods," Vitas hissed. "It's too dangerous to rescue them on our own."

"Then what about recon? We can at least figure out where they took Kayla and Austin. Maybe the rest of the missing campers are with them?" Maui shot back angrily. Family was very important in his culture. He couldn't just leave behind his _ʻohana._ He knew Vitas couldn't either.

"Alright recon only. You still got some modeling parts?" Getting a confirmation nod, Vitas instructed Maui to leave a piece behind them every few feet to get back here. Once the confirmed their friends location, the come back here and get out using their flair to get everyone's attention for a full scale rescue. Dimming their lights, the two proceeded forward praying that they wouldn't be caught.

* * *

It was hours later and Leilani was getting very anxious. Three teams had not returned from the Labyrinth yet, and one team included her brother Maui. All around her fellow campers were being treated for injuries. She had bruises forming from running to solid walls covering her entire body. Sidonia hair had chard ends and she was laughing hysterically after being gassed with laughing gas.

"Leilani, Leilani, Royal Child!" Uma's voice broke through the Hawaiian girl's anxiety bringing her back to the real world. Her cabin leader had not escaped unharmed either. Her right arm had ten stitches in it to close a gash she had received from one of those chain saw Frisbees.

"I know you're anxious and worried for your brother. I'm worried for Vitas, he's rebellious, but he wouldn't go off like this, not without a good reason," the Indian girl told her friend. She gave her a quick hug letting her bunk mate cry for a few minutes. "Now come on. Will needs all the help he can get."

Everywhere you looked, Will and Nico were doing their best to help the injured. The mortal campers were ignoring their injuries to help their friends out. Eunice was obviously having a flare up from her scars and the warts sprouting from her arms had to be bothering her. That didn't stop her from running around being Will's nurse.

Orlanda was dashing about using first aid on Damien, telling him to shut up and that she knew what she was doing. Surprisingly she was the only one uninjured, either by luck or because she was used to being to being in the dark. Next to her, Iggy, (who had lost two teeth), was having Xylon distract Sherman while he treated Ares son broken big toes. Judging by the wrinkling of his nose, Sherman needed to wash his feet more often.

The rest of the Acolytes and Champions did what they could with their injuries, ranging from cuts to pulling leeches off one another. Chui finished putting a wrist brace on Wyatt, who had strained the muscles reaching for an apple. "You'll have to wear it for a few days, until the muscles feel better."

"Thanks, sit down so I can use this cream on you. Wouldn't want to ruin such a handsome face with scar running across it." He started to spread the cream across his face when most piercing scream he heard in his life echoed across the meadow.

Shoving Chui down, Wyatt saw the source of the scream. Leilani had run across the field to meet up with the team of Apollo and Meg with Heather hot on her heels. Suddenly his head exploded with emotions of terror, fear and shame. He started to tear at his skull. His friend wouldn't allow that, using his shoe laces to tie the emo's hands in front of him.

Heather was doing her best to restrain Leilani, who wanted break Apollo's ribs again and bite him. "This is his fault! All these strange things happening, they're tied to him somehow. My little brother and his friend are missing along with your kids!"

"I'm not… I don't know…" Apollo stuttered only for Heather to shake her head slightly. As Leilani collapsed to the ground crying the Acolyte told her to go get some rest. The Champion stumbled away towards Hera's cabin to rest.

"You must forgive her. She's blaming herself and is lashing out. Meg are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." Meg's eyes widened, she shut her mouth tightly, and appeared to be suppressing a panic attack. Seeing that, Heather went to work on calming the girl down.

"It's okay Meg, whatever happened down there, it can't touch you at this moment. You're afraid and feeling trapped. Focus on me, let your fear go. Take a deep breath." Slowly Meg body relaxed and she started to return to her normal self. Her color returned and she leaned against her servant taking comfort from him. She mouthed a thank you.

"Your welcome. You two should get cleaned up and change. We still have some wounded to tend to. Apollo, I know you want to go after your kids right now, but you can't go into the woods right now with the state you're in. In the morning Chiron will assemble a team to go looking for the missing campers." The ex-god slumped his shoulders in defeat.

* * *

No one slept well that night all worried about what was happening to their friends and family. Leilani tossed and turned all night worried for Maui. The rest of the Champions didn't get much sleep either worried about Vitas. The Acolytes took turns holding a vigil as they mediated, hoping to come up with a way to find the missing campers.

That morning everyone was woken up by the sound of a helicopter hovering near the camp. Not knowing what was going on the ten mortals hurried out the cabin. Spotting Malcolm, Tino asked him if he knew what was going on. "Rachel Dare is here. She's the Oracle we told you about. Maybe she's finally had a vision."

Tino turned to Uma, "Maybe one of us should go and meet her? She's obviously never met an Acolyte or Champion. We could help give her a new perspective."

Uma and Chui nodded ordering their bunk mates to go to breakfast. The two of them headed up the cave in their special garb. Reaching the cave the two of them announced themselves asking if they could come in. Rachel said it was okay and they entered meeting the Oracle for the first time.

Even without meeting her before, it was obvious to the two sixteen year old that Rachel wasn't in top form. She looked listless and very sad. With the Oracle not working right, she must feel like a huge part of her was missing. She looked at them with an unreadable expression on her face.

Uma bowed slightly before holding out her hand. "It's a great honor to meet you Ms. Dare. We've heard much about you. I am Uma Naballie, the head councilor of Hera's cabin. I'm her Champion of Marriage. This is Chui Freeman, head councilor of Hestia's cabin."

"I am the Acolyte of Stately Order. We've come here to introduce ourselves and see if we can help in anyway. Being mortal we might see things the rest of those assembled might have missed."

Rachel shook their hands, told them to call her Rachel. The two sat down on the cave floor and listened as the Oracle told them about what she had learned in her absence. Rachel fished her phone from her pocket. "Don't touch this. You guys have probably figure this out, but phones are going even more haywire than usual around demigods. I'm technically one of you, and even I can't place calls. I was able to take a couple pictures," Rachel said.

Chui held out his hand. "We're mortals. None of us have touched phones since we got here, to protect our friends. We might be able to hold it without causing problems."

Rachel hesitantly gave him the phone. No sparks, no dial tone, the phone's face was perfect. Whatever tiny amount of blessing they had, wasn't enough to cause a problem. He tapped a few buttons on the phone bringing up a picture of glass residential building in Manhattan. "Anyone recognize this place?"

"This is the building Rachel described last summer," Chiron said, "Where you parlayed with the Romans."

Rachel nodded explaining about her attempts to contact Reyna, Praetor of Camp Jupiter, with no success. Chui brought up the next picture on the phone showing shadowy figures, the bosses of a company called the Triumvirate Holdings. What unsettled everyone is they had been the primary financial backer for all the wars and in between disasters. It was disturbing especially upon learning about the Beast.

Uma sat back quietly, thinking over what was going on. Adult demigod, centuries of gathering power, an old history lesson from her former school. Reaching into her pocket, her fingers brushed a list of questions about some of the stuff they had unearthed during their attempt to make a complete historical record. "Excuse me, but I think I have an idea of who are enemy is and what they're after."

They all looked at her as she pulled out her list and explained. "Since one of the duties of both Champions and Acolytes is to protect CHB, we've trying create a historical chronicle of everything that's ever happened since its establishment."

"Hopefully all the way back to first kind demigod camp. It's been hard work and we still have gaps to fill in. Last week we were working on figuring out when the first Roman demigods were born and we stumbled across a few stray facts," Chui added, looking at Apollo questioningly. "Is there any truth to the legend that Roman Emperors that some of them were your descendants?"

Apollo looked pale and was shaking. Meg was staring at him intensely. The question had rattled her nerves. She was hiding something important, it had to do with the Beast that had been mentioned earlier.

"The last Triumvirate…"the ex-god said as he tapped his forehead trying to shake loose some information "I dealt with included Lepidus, Marc Antony, and my son the original Octavian. Their goals were to spread patriotism, skullduggery and assassination, all to maintain power and control of the Empire."

Uma and Chui shared a look. With confirmation about a Roman Emperor with divine blood of the God of Prophecy, there could be no doubt about what they wanted and why they were here.

"It seems to me, whoever is in this Triumvirate, are seeking ultimate power by weakening their enemies through cunning warfare. That's one of the reason the Empire lasted so long until it stretched too thin with trying to take Scotland and Egypt. Resources ran out, weakening the armies and the distance cause communication problems. That and the unrest of the people," Chui recited from memory of a history lecture two years ago.

"They want complete control over the Five Oracles of Ancient Greece. With the blood of Apollo in their veins, they can control the future prophecies, bending them their will. Both Greek and Romans will be helpless to protect themselves. The massacre on both sides will leave the Gods exposed. They'll put up a fight, but eventually they'll lose," Uma stated sadly.

* * *

That shook everyone to the core. Ancient demigods, most likely former Emperors, the power, money, and resources to bring their dream to live. Mortals would suffer greatly if not more than any demigod. They had to do something. "Wait a minute, _Five_ Oracles of Ancient Greece? I thought there was only one!"

The former god narrowly avoid a punch to his gut when Rachel turned on him. She demanded to know why she wasn't told about them or if they could still help now. Apollo was blubbering about forgetting about them and how most of them weren't as successful as her so they were forgotten most of them time. He blurted out that he was pretty sure the Beast had control over most of them.

"This is all been really fun, but I can't have you beating up Apollo. He still owes me a year of services." Meg smiled a bit enjoying her servant's pain. Kicking her legs a little she asked the head councilors about these oracles they had discovered.

"Well you already know a lot about the Oracle of Delphi. Lots of different origin stories there, but we know the true one. While it is a complete mystery how the Pythia was chosen, there are records stating that one had to be a minor priestess of Delphi while being an excellent person of character and never drank wine. If the chosen had outside relationships, such as family, they were to sever all ties to them," Uma told the group before adding that the Pythia was only allowed to give prophecies nine months of the year due to a deal between Apollo and Dionysus.

"The Sibyl of Cumae was an old woman who appeared near the time of the fiftieth Olympiad, out of thin air. She wore a disguise to hide her appearance. The woman was a mortal, who had lived for a thousand years." Chui stopped for a moment deciding if he should proceed with the story. Looking at the teenage Apollo, he decided to not spare him the guilt he should be feeling. "Sibyl was a kind woman, she learned the future by singing to the Fates and in turn they wrote replies on oak leaves, left at her cave. She wrote those prophecies in nine different books. The reason she lived so long was that in exchange for Apollo taking her virginity she would live as long as the grain of sands in her hand."

Apollo looked a bit sheepish at that. "Well, I thought it was far trade, she could have been my immortal lover, but she spurned me so I allowed her to age rapidly. She managed to give the Sybyillian Books to King Tarquin before she died didn't she?" he pointed out.

"Six out of nine books were burned because she need all the money she could get to prepare for own funeral! The remaining three were nearly lost a dozen times before making it to Camp Jupiter." Hearing this Meg slapped her servant on the head telling him for a god that saw the future, he sure didn't think ahead much.

Both Champion and Acolyte gave a brief history of the Erythaeon Sibyl. The sibyl was actually two priestess, who when asked good questions, would prophecies great historical events that had yet to occur.

The Trophonius Oracle came to be when Trophonius and his brother Agamedus, built a secret treasure chamber deep in a cave that could only be accessed by either lying on the chasm above or a secret door in King Hyriues treasure room. The two brother stole everything and would have gotten away with it if Hyriues hadn't caught Agamedus in a snare. Trophonius spared his brother the fate of being a prisoner by cutting his brother's head off. He left the head in the cave before fleeing to safety.

Later a plague hit the area and the only way to stop it was if Agamedus was given proper burial rites and worshiped. Succeeding in doing that, the cave became imbued with the power of prophecy due to the cave being near a sacred temple dedicated to Apollo. By giving frightening visions to the visitors who bravely fell into the chasm and came back out alive. When interpreted by priest, the future became clear.

Wishing for the first time, not to be the center of attention, Apollo explained about the last one. The Grove of Dodona, sacred to Rhea. The trees whispered different prophecies and only by hanging a wind chine in the center of the grove could the trees focus all their attention to one prophecy. He suspected that the Grove had regenerated in the woods and that their enemy was trying to destroy it because it wasn't under their control yet.

"It's a two prong mission then. Rescue the missing campers and save the grove from the Triumvirate my friends, but how do we proceed without a prophecy to guide us?"

Chui laughed and told them there was more than one way to tell the future. They didn't need an Oracle as he took out of book of quotes. He was going to use bibliomancy, telling the future from a passage in a book. It was something Iggy had shown them.

"A book of truth spoken by many famous people. Let their words of wisdom guide us." Balancing the book on its spine, he let it go as it opened on two pages. Closing his eyes ran his hand over the pages before pointing down at a specific quote

"We're our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves." By Tom Robbins. While uncertain what it meant, it was good advice. Now it was time to prepare for the rescue mission.


	7. The Battle

It was late afternoon and the rescue group were preparing to enter the woods to find the missing campers and secure the Grove of Dodona. While Apollo and Meg got ready to fight, Leilani and Iggy, (who had been chosen for his tracking skills), mentally prepared themselves for going into the woods. Chiron had been worried about sending both mortals on this rescue mission only to give in realizing arguing wouldn't accomplish anything.

Leilani had tied her hair up into a tight bun with a frangipani flower in resting next to her crown. She wore a loose tunic with a chest guard and fingerless gloves. She also put on some greaves and fiber belt which held her sling and stones. She also had eight small darts, the tips coated in white sap, in a small pouch on her right side.

Kneeling next to the sacrificial altar, Leilani prayed to her patroness and her native war god Ku offering them a basket of freshly caught fish as a gift. "Ku, grant me your strength and ferocity against my enemies. My patroness Hera, protect me and guide me as I set out as your Champion of Womanhood, to accomplish a dangerous mission. Thank you."

Leilani stood up and headed out to join Iggy and Xylon. He also wore minimum armor to give him speed, while protecting his vulnerable parts from being attack, when he got in close to use his signal whip. He had a lantern attached to his belt and sheathed his whip and fire poker. He wore a simple hood to show his connection to Hestia. His pet was also prepared for a battle in the woods. Xylon's wore protective armor and special shoes to protect his hoofs. There was a small pack on his back with special items that might come in handy. Both appeared to be intensely focused.

The small trio headed to the edge of the woods where everyone else had gathered. To their surprise, Apollo wasn't carrying a bow and was refusing to take a combat ukulele stating he had finished his vow last night during his vigil. Now they had less of a chance of survival. Ichabod also noted that Meg kept looking at her rings, the woods, and then Apollo. There was something else going on with her and he wondered if it had to do with her vows of Xenia.

Will, Nico, Malcolm, along with Billie and Paolo, were giving advice to the Meg and Apollo. Chui and Uma stood next to Paolo waiting for their friends. Seeing them arrive both called out a greeting. Everyone turned their attention to mortals. For the first time since the ex-god came here, he looked relieved to see an Acolyte and Champion.

"You look ready for battle. Here, I put together a med kit for you with a few supplies to help Xylon out. Hopefully it will help with any injuries. I won't be there to perform magical surgery," Will stated indicating to Iggy's fixed teeth. He glanced over at Leilani. She wore her bruises proudly and gave no indication they were giving her any trouble.

"Be careful out there, no matter how much you've trained or how good a fighter you two are, you're both still mortal. Don't take unnecessary risks okay?" Nico told Leilani and Iggy. They both nodded understanding why he was worried. The others wished them luck and made them promise to come back alive. All Uma and Chui asked was that they keep their objective in their mind, no matter how angry or upset they got, never forget that they were an Acolyte and Champion. With that they head into woods ready to take on any danger.

* * *

Rain was coming down in sheets as they made their way further into the woods, making it nearly impossible to keep track of where they were going. Xylon let out some grunts and gave a look of discomfort to his best friend. "I know buddy, this isn't pleasant, but we have to keep going. We don't leave anyone behind right?" Xylon snorted happily and rubbed his body against his owner.

"I can't believe we've been reduced to having a pig lead us through the forest. This is ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous or not, mighty Apollo, Xylon is smart. I trained him to find things I've lost or even go get help should I need it, so don't give me smack about my pet!"

Meg stifled a scream and pointed at a huge puddle of mud. Stuck in the mud was a carapace of giant insect. Meg moaned about how she almost stepped on it, then ran behind a tree to throw up.

"It's a myrmeke," Apollo said in shaky tone. "Or it was one. They're giant ants. There must be a colony somewhere in the woods."

"That might explain a lot of noise coming from the woods these last few months. These monstrosities must make a ton of noise when their out searching for food," Leilani noted.

"Not comforting. Are -are these things dangerous?" Meg whimpered.

Apollo laughed as he talked about the different sizes of the myrmeke and how they spit acid that could burn through anything until Meg asked him to stop. She looked at the other two silently asking them what to do.

"I remember seeing bright lights coming from this direction in the woods during a patrol. They looked artificial to me. If we keep going this way, we might find whoever it is that was using them," Leilani suggested.

"Good idea. The rain is starting to let up, we need to cover more ground before the entire woods becomes one giant quicksand trap."

About an hour later, they came upon two geysers, one which housed a palikoi, who really wanted them to take surveys to improve the experiences within the Woods of Camp Half-Blood. It was crazy and completely out there, but at least they knew now who had been responsible for the lights they had seen thanks to to his huge spotlights.

"Now, as I was saying we need to be more organized here in the woods. A map with clearly labeled areas would help. Maybe even sign posts to help make sure demigods don't get lost! That might actually help our tour groups from getting eaten," Pete spieled.

"That's cool," Meg interrupted. "But can you tell us anything about a secret grove with whispering trees?" The other gave her looks of admiration. She knew how to get people to focus.

"Oh," Pete floated lower into his cloud of steam, the spotlight turning it cheery red. "I'm not supposed to talk about the grove. Paulie, my partner, told me it would scare away customers. People will appreciate wolves and dragons more."

Iggy stepped forward and beckoned the palikoi closer. He started whispering softly into Pete's ear, ignoring how he was heating up. He took out a notebook from his pack that also contained the med kit. He handed it to the geyser god not caring how the steam was causing the pages to wrinkle.

A few minutes later Pete finished what he was writing and gave it back to Iggy. "Thank you for your hospitality. Now I suggest you douse the lights and get back in your geyser. We'll handle the rest." The geyser god did just that while looking very frightened.

Iggy put away the notebook and got out his whip and poker. Apollo started to demand to know what was going on, before the boy interrupted him. "Don't worry about that right now. We've got nasty company coming this way and talking to them is impossible."

* * *

The others pulled their weapons out and got into their fighting stance just as a bunch of soldier ants about the size of a small tank with ten foot long antennas came their way searching for shiny and tasty prey. Everyone stood perfectly still hoping the ants would go away, but Apollo reached for his combat ukulele to toss away. The movement caught the attention of the soldiers as they came crawling right after the group.

"Hey bugs!" Meg's scimitars flashed in her hands, making her the new shiniest thing in the clearing. She ran to the left drawing two ants towards her. Iggy and Xylon dove behind the spotlights and turned them back on. "Hey myrmeks! I know I'm not very big, but I'm sure you would enjoy me as a snack," he called out. A lone ant came after him eager to eat easy prey.

"Don't let their acid touch you!" Leilani shouted as she ran towards the ants. The soldiers came rushing at her, their mandibles clacking together. There were three of them and they looked ready to fire acid at her. They came closer and closer.

She was terrified out of her mind. These ants weren't an enchanted stuffed toy, but real monsters. She could die and her body eaten by these creatures. She had no powers to draw on to give her an edge. Only her instincts, weapon, and training to help her survive. For a split second she wished she could go back in time and refuse the blessing. That's when the ants shot the acid at her.

Time seemed to slow down as the acid came towards her. In that moment, the ferocity, willpower, and deadliness of her ancestors who served as Koa, deadly soldiers of Hawaii's ancient past, ran through her blood.

She ducked in the nick of time, the acid going over her head. She danced around going forward and back. One soldier broke off his attack as the other two came after her. She couldn't worry about that right now. The soldiers came directly at her. She started spinning around, loading her sling, at the right moment she released her payload, two heavy layered Celestial Bronze balls, that upon impact, released lava all over one of the soldiers.

Its dying cries were something that would haunt her dreams for some time. The myrmeke twitched about as it ran it all directions, the lava burning through the top of its head. It gave one last cry and fell down dead.

Leilani had no time to enjoy her victory. The other ant, angry about the death of its fellow soldier rushed her and picked her up in its mandibles. "AHHHHHHHH!" she let out a scream of pain as it tried to cut her in two. She flailed around trying to escape. As a result her frangipani flower came out of her hair and landed on the ant's right antenna.

A second later, the myrmeke dropped her on the ground. She gasped for air and tried not to move. Her sides had new bruises forming on them making hard to move. Her eyes started to water as with blurry eyes, she watched the ant's twitching antennas touched the flower before tickling her body. After what felt like forever, but really was just a minute, the ant retreated, taking the flower with it as it headed back to the nest.

Pushing herself up, Leilani wondered why a creature that seemed to enjoy eating metal, would leave her alone after smelling the sweet scent, of the tropical beauty. Maybe since its fragrance was stronger at night to help moths find it, the ant had picked up on the scent and found it nicer than metal? In Hawaiian culture, the flower meant welcoming and a strong bond of love between two people, however in the plants native home of South America, the plant meant strength to overcome challenges and intense spiritual devotion. Whatever the reason, it had helped save her life.

Iggy was cursing himself for having a half a plan when he turned the lights back on. His objective had been to draw one of the ants to him to have a better chance at defeating it. He figured if he changed the lights directions a few times, the myrmeke would get confused and leave. He didn't expect it to tear the spotlights out of the ground.

"Not good, not good at all. Stay back, stay back!" his whip cracked in the air, the sharp vibrations keeping the creature at a small distance, but he didn't know for how long. Next to him Xylon, bless his piggy heart, was rooting through the ground making holes to trip up the monster.

He needed to remain calm and think about his options. If he could just get one antenna injured, the ant would be confused about its surroundings enough for him to escape. Iggy kept stepping back until he slipped in mud wallow and fell flat out. He tried to get up, but he was stuck fast.

The myrmeke charged ahead unsteadily as its legs got spread out by all the different holes. It looked hungry as it opened its jaws wide. Unable to move, Iggy hoped Xylon would make it out alive.

The PBP let out a wild snort and charged the ant despite the weight difference. The myrmeke snatched the pig up using its antennas to probe Xylon to see if he would make a good meal. With his special hooves cover, Xylon squirmed about and got a lucky strike in managing to slice through one of the eyes of the creature.

Ants didn't use their eyes for much, but it hurt a lot! The creature flailed around, its mandibles unclenched, dropping the pig, who did his best to avoid the spewing acid. Once more he charged forward aiming at its front left leg. Using his momentum, he hit it with such force that his weight managed to snap the leg off.

The myrmeke flopped, but still didn't give up. If anything it was madder than before. It was determined to eat the little pest, when it felt something flew over its head. Turning around, the ant went after a very pristine fire poker that looked freshly cleaned.

Xylon hurried back to his master, who had fallen back into the mud after managing to toss the poker away. Digging into the wallow, he pulled his master out of the mud, pressing his piggy snout all over him to check if he was okay. "I'm good Xylon. Thanks for the assist buddy."

Across the clearing someone was singing "Sweet Carolina" with such intensity, it felt like he was going to explode. Xylon fell to the ground, his hooves digging into the ground frantically. There was a moment of pause and then a myrmeke exploded sending acid flying everywhere. Before he could turn to see what had happened he felt something jerk inside of him forcing his attentions elsewhere.

Meg had lost her swords and was being jerked around in one of the myrmeke's mandibles. She let out a moan and flopped forward unconscious. Satisfied with its catch the soldier took her away. Iggy tried to get up only for exhaustion to hit. It had taken too much energy to get that fire poker cleaned and tossed. He closed his eyes and started to drift asleep.

* * *

He didn't know how long he was in this semi-conscious state, but he became fully aware when someone started to shake him. He swatted her away. "I'm okay, I'm okay, just a bit exhausted and muddy." Indeed he was covered in mud. A small section of his hair had been ripped off when his pet had pulled him out of the mud. His hands had cuts on them from when he used the sharp end of the poker to give him some leverage to stand long enough to throw it.

Leilani wheezed a bit, her sides aching from almost be crushed. Her hair was a mess and her clothing had holes in it. She was sweating a lot and it appeared that all her fingernails had been chipped. "I need your help. Apollo went a little crazy after his singing number. By the time I got my wits about me, he made another oath to Pete, vowing to rescue Meg before she became dinner before passing out."

She pointed to the fallen teenager who was talking in his fitful state near the geyser. He had a large gash on his forehead. The smell of barf was stinking up the air. They needed a safe place to take care of their injuries before they went after Meg. Both fourteen year olds pushed themselves up and started carrying the delirious teen between them. He kept mumbling things like Daphne, imperator, and Beast.

They had gone only about twenty feet before their own bodies started to feel the strain of carrying the unconscious god. If they didn't find a safe place soon they would die out here. What they needed was a sign of any kind to help them out.

Out of the corner of his eye, Iggy caught sight of a plant. Stopping, he asked Xylon to bring him the plant. His pet did and upon examination it was a black fern the sign of Rhea. In fact, there was a small trail of them. "We need to follow those ferns. My instincts tell me there's a safe place for us at the end."

They changed direction, taking it a step at a time. Iggy's cuts started stinging badly and Leilani was racked with pain from all her bruises. Her internal organs seemed to be moving about, but they refused to give up.

At last they came into a small clearing. Parked there was a VW safari van with black ferns decorating the sides. A small beat up camper sat a foot from the van. Two lions slept lazily by it. A woman with black braided hair, with a gold and silver tiara in it, was petting the lions. She wore a batik dress with fern designs, tinted glasses and a macramé belt. She spotted them and as she got closer they could make out the henna tattoos all over her arms and the sparkling peace symbol hanging from her neck.

"It's about time you four got here. I was starting to think the man got you and locked you in the joint," Rhea told them. Iggy and Leilani raised their eyebrows at the comment. The Titan mother of the gods looking and acting like a hippie? Sure, why not? It was all that strange considering they had a mortal god between them.

Forty five minutes later, everyone's injuries had been treated and the two mortals exchange stories with Rhea as they ate her organic stew. Apollo was still sleeping guarded by his grandma's lions. Rhea kept mixing up her centuries and she had a few memories confused, but overall she was a good story teller.

"So tell us more about this woman's revolution you were involved in. As your daughter Hera's Champion of Womanhood, I'm sure I could learn something from you."

"Ah my daughters, I love them so much. It's not righteous they got short ended by their brothers all the time. Hera, my girl has too much flair and the dramatics. Personally I blame Kronos for that, but you can't go back and nurture her the right way huh? Still, she turned out all right and at least she stands by what she believes. I love my son Zeus, but his Aquarius vibe clashes with her Gemini one. Still she's a smart one to make you mortals Champions. No matter what gets you down you fight for your rights, especially female power.

I have to say Hestia may not have the most glamorous life, but at least she learned not to get married to a child eating man. I dig you Acolytes. You get it you know? Being quiet and calm, keep the family running all smooth like. Then kapow you're the backbones of revelations. Big Brother can watch you all the time yet you slip through and undermine him."

"Thanks, your observations are really awesome. Wish we had more time to hang and just have fun. On the other hand, your grandson needs your wisdom to go with the karmic flow if he's going to save your special grove."

Rhea nodded and told her lions to wake him up. The two of them did an excellent job of cleaning him up as he woke up and recognize his grandmother. He seemed a bit confused by her appearance. "Rhea? Why are you…?"

"Sun child, listen up okay? We don't have time to exchange stories about my pottery shop up in Woodstock. That new age military group, Triumvirate Holdings, that trinity is the worse combination ever. Why three ancient evil emperors who live a twilight life, haven't been stopped, has been bumming me out for centuries now."

"Ancient emperors who never died? That can't be possible! What in the major scale is a twilight life?"

"She means someone who's caught between life and death. Ancient worshiping made them godlike, but they're still very much mortal, meaning death is always nipping at them," Iggy explained. He had pulled out his quote book reading the section on life and death.

Rhea nodded at the boy saying he had good head on his shoulder. "Memory is powerful thing, it gave them their long lives, because they haven't been forgotten. Should have checked their death certificates. Anyways this power trio has been waiting centuries to make their move and now they have. Those creeps are trying to gain complete control over the Oracle network and we can't let them!"

Apollo nodded and he understood the gravity of the situation. The ancient grove had regrown itself to help in a time of great need. It was waiting out there to be used, only to find out the people who heard its call wanted it dead. It wasn't going to stop until someone saved it.

"I've got to split. I've been here too long. Don't want them to find me and force the gates open. You and your girl will have to do that yourself. Listen to this chick and dude okay? They'll help you with this trial and you'll be one small step closer to proving you can go home. Oh and don't forget that the Beast always attacks multiple targets."

Rhea snapped her fingers and her lions got in the van. She stopped and smacked herself in the forehead. "I almost forget, you four will need these if you want to have a chance of beating the Beast." She handed some wind chimes to Apollo, placed her peace sign around Iggy's neck before giving a few black fronds to Leilani. Lastly she placed a lion fur collar around Xylon. Hopping into her van she told them to use her camper to rest before zooming off in her VW van.

Leilani could hear Apollo's thoughts forming so she put an end to it before he spoke. "Forget Apollo. I know how you feel. All that guilt and worry is eating you up inside." Reaching up she cupped Apollo's face in her hands. "Listen, I know that you're finally starting to get what it means to be human. That's good and will help us rescue Meg. Right now though, we need to rest okay?"

"But we don't even know where the nest or grove are! How are we going to accomplish anything without knowing that?"

"No worries Apollo, Pete couldn't talk about the grove, but he could write everything he's seen down." Iggy informed him, tapping his notebook. With no choice, the four of them went inside the camper to regain their strength. Only a flimsy door protected them from the dangers out in the woods.

* * *

Three hours later Leilani woke up on the table bench. Her sides weren't hurting as much and she felt a bit better after getting some rest. Apollo was sleeping restlessly on the bed. Iggy and Xylon, who had fallen asleep next to the door were not in sight. Tiptoeing to the door, she let herself out and went a little ways into the woods to do her business.

Coming back, she saw Iggy looking in his book of quotes again. He looked a bit better and she could tell by the way he wiggled he must have also done some business in the woods. Xylon was nowhere near him, but he didn't look too concerned.

"What you looking for in there? Something to inspire us?" The boy shook his head. He flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "Hidden talent counts for nothing," Roman Emperor Nero the Beast." He tore the quote out of the book and wrote in tiny letters underneath, "Expect attack on camp." Xylon came out of the woods carrying sticks and pieces of metal he scrounged.

"We don't have time to try to make our way back to camp if we want to rescue Meg before times up. No guarantee we'd make it anyways, not with a nut like Nero controlling the woods at this moment. I'm just glad that Rhea left some crafting supplies in her camper."

Leilani realized he was making a paper lantern. He was planning on attaching the message to it and hope the winds would blow it back to camp. Another unique and old fashion way of communicating. Their enemy may have stopped almost all forms of modern communication, but it was obvious they had forgotten a few old tricks.

Rocking back and forth on the ground Leilani finally confronted the fear about her missing brother and fellow Champion. Through this entire rescue mission she had been able to keep those thoughts at bay, mostly because she was too busy trying to stay alive. Rhea's warning made her very anxious. All she wanted to do was run into the myrmeke nest, clear a path and get to the grove. It was a foolish plan.

Come on think Leilani. People are counting on you to help save them. Suddenly the quote from yesterday about people being their own dragons and saving themselves became clear. "I have an idea of how we can get into the nest without being caught, but it will take all of us to do it. I just hope Apollo can sing without music."

The plan was very simple yet crazy. The myrmeke liked metal and attacked anything that wasn't one of them. So the young Champion suggested that they use the camper and the dead husk to their advantage. They weren't sure how they did it, but they managed to move that camper in the hunting grounds of the ants. It was disgusting rubbing their entire bodies with the husk of the dead myrmeke, but it would be worth if the pheromones protected them from being attacked.

* * *

When the camper was picked up by the ants everyone did their best not to scream. Each one of them braced against something to avoid accidentally crashing into the door and falling out. Iggy had the most trouble due to having to hold on to Xylon's collar and the table.

"This is the craziest and stupidest plan in the history of mortal ideas. Any minute now those monsters could spit acid on this annoyingly small camper and discover us?" Apollo almost yelled.

"In the name of the seven islands of Hawaii, would you shut up?!" Leilani hissed at him. She had fixed the damage to her clothes by stitching the fern fronds in the holes with the suture kit she had found in their medical supplies. "This is the safest way to save Meg and keep you from boiling alive. Just concentrate on using your voice and we'll be fine."

Finally they arrived at the nest. Carefully looking out the windows, they watched as the ants carried them through the tunnels. On the walls was glowing moss giving them a little light to see. A short time later they saw a geranium in the middle of the tunnel.

"Meg's left us a trail! Let's go!" Iggy stated as he let go of the table. He and his pet slid towards the door and kicked it open falling to the ground below. Leilani and Apollo followed his lead and soon they were all out of the camper. They held their breath waiting to see if the myrmeke would attack.

Two minutes went by and none of the giant ants came after them. They were being ignored. The pheromones had worked! Following the trail of flowers they went off to find their friend. When they heard yelling they knew Meg was close. Stumbling into the food chamber, they saw Meg thrashing in her goo case. "Get me out of here!"

"We don't have any blades!" Apollo yelled. His fingers went up to his neck where Meg's rings hung on a ukulele string necklace. "Well I have your blades."

"Don't need them! Just throw the seed pack on the goo!" Apollo did as she ordered as the two mortals stood guard. Within a few minutes she grew enough geraniums to break free and took her rings back as they morphed into her swords. "Now how do we get out of here without being eaten?"

"We don't want to get out of here. According to Pete, the antechamber to the grove is in a tunnel behind the queen," Iggy stated. Meg blanched upon hearing that. "Apollo, it's up to you to protect Meg. The ants won't ignore her like us. Use whatever you can to keep them at bay and charm the ant queen so we can slip past her."

The teen ex-god looked slightly nervous. He had saved Meg so he wouldn't be boiled alive, but his Styx vow would slowly kill him if continued to use his new bow, (Rhea had left one next to the camper), and musical instruments. Unfortunately Iggy was right about him being the only one who could get them past the queen ant with Meg in tow.

Apollo led the group, singing about his feelings, his status as a mortal, and surprisingly his faults. Whenever his voice started to waver, he waved Paolo's magical bandana and the ants forgot about them. When the entered the queen's chamber he switched songs. He did a rap version of "Dance" by Nas switching out words to make them more appealing to the queen.

The queen seemed to love the song and being called Mama. She was okay with them going out the tunnel behind her. That was a good thing because Apollo had all but lost his voice from singing so long thus breaking his vow once more. The tunnel turned out to lead to the nest's garbage dump.

* * *

The antechamber was huge. The clearing was hemmed with trees so thick and tangled that traveling through them would have been impossible. The branches above them wove together in a leafy dome letting in just enough sunlight to help the plants grow, but making it impossible to tell this area was sacred grove from above. At the far end there were eighty foot tall trees growing so close to one another they formed a living gate. Something white stood in front of the gate.

"I don't hear any voices from the trees. I think they might be waiting to see what we do next," Meg commented softly. Her entire demeanor had changed again. She shook like a leaf, her eyes darted about, and her expressions kept changing. Without waiting for a reply she started walking through the remains of meals.

As they approached the gates it soon became clear what the white things were. Crucifix stakes had been struck deep into the ground. Each had a tightly banded white cloth cocoon with the head of person sticking out. It was the missing campers and Pete's friend Paulie. The cocoons were covered in liquid Greek Fire, one match and everyone would burn to death in an instant.

Apollo rushed to free his children. Leilani sprinted towards her brother then stopped. Something wasn't right. Iggy hadn't moved and Xylon was grunting in anger. She was about to shout a warning to Apollo when Peaches the karpos dropped from the canopy, landing with a somersault at Meg's feet

"Thank the gods!" Apollo said happily. He seemed oblivious as Leilani ran to his rescue and Iggy tried to stop Meg, but it was too late. With guilty look on her face, Meg gave her summons a command, "Peaches, trap the mortals."

The diaper wearing grain spirit was on Leilani before she could blink. Peaches smacked her in the face with a peach. He bit her arm drawing blood. He kicked off her chest and tossing a peach on the ground. From the fruit came roots of a tree that caged her.

Iggy ran to help his friend, only to be tripped by Meg. "I'm sorry," she whispered as Peaches picked him up and tossed him against the tree cage. Peaches screamed "Peaches! Peaches!" as he threw more fruit on the ground capturing the Acolyte and his pet. Xylon squealed in anger as he tried to bite his way through the roots, but they were too tough.

The ex-god stood frozen as he looked at his friend, yes _friend_ , with a hurt expression on his face. Meg couldn't even look at him. Instead she looked back to the tunnel where people were starting to emerge.

First game out the Germani cracking their knuckles. Next came two servants, that Apollo easily recognized them. The tall redhead was Cade and the squat blond one was Mickey. These were the two thugs who had jumped him when he first arrived on Earth. Some of their cockiness was gone. In fact, they looked a bit terrified as the last person emerged from the tunnel.

Nero entered the antechamber wearing an expensive Italian shirt made from the finest wool, dyed emperor purple with a gray undershirt. Gold chains hung from his neck and his shoes were hand tooled leather. While his clothes looked nice and expensive, Nero own looks were very ugly.

He looked about thirty, but it was a hard thirty. His face haggard and his eyes had a bit of bloodshot to them. He had a huge distended belly from partying too much. Looking at his wrists, you could see an age spot or two. His mouth was fixed in a permanent sneer. His curly hair extended into a wraparound neck beard. His chin was weak and looked like it need surgery to prevent it from falling off.

"Emperor Nero the Beast." Apollo said.

"Just Nero will do," the former emperor said, his lips curled. "It's good to see you, my honored ancestor. I'm sorry I've been so lax with my offerings these past few millennia, but…." He shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't had a need of you. I've been doing rather well on my own."

Leilani could feel the white hot anger coming from Apollo. He wanted to smite Nero at that very second. Her instincts told her that Nero had no plans to release his hostages. Seeing him order his right hand Vince to kill himself only to change his mind a second before it was too late, showrd her how insane this man was. "I'm looking at one of the most famous sociopath's in world history."

"Hiss, Leilani, can you hear me?" Iggy whispered quietly to her. She gave a slight shift of her head to let him know she heard him. "We need to get out of these cages and save the others."

Again she slightly nodded as they listened to Nero and Apollo's heated conversation. Nero was grandstanding on his plans to control the Oracles, take a third of the United States for himself and how thanks to the Internet he would never die. He also wanted to thank his stepdaughter Meg for all the help she did getting Apollo here.

Everything clicked in his head in second. So that's what was wrong with Meg. Her traumatic event was watching her father die at Nero's hands. Thanks to his parents making him a prolific read he knew what Nero had done next. He pulled the old Jekyll and Hyde trick, claiming he had a split personality, when in reality, he just was extra cruel when he pretended his bestial actions were a result of someone else actions. Meg had an extreme case of emotional and mental instability resulting in psychological dependence on Nero.

 _"Sanctuary fire burns brightest when used to protect the weak from the strong abusers of power,"_ Hestia's voice echoed in his mind. Her message suddenly made sense. The Acolytes couldn't do anything to help Meg as she was now, but they could help her start on the path of healing.

Next to him Leilani also figured out what Hera's message meant. "A true champion is not someone who does great deeds, but helps the lost whether they deserve it or not." The Champions job was to help Apollo find his way despite his past actions that lead to this situation. Knowing what she and Iggy had to do, it was time to have some fun messing with a villain's monologue.

Nero was talking about the demigods he caught. "You can't imagine my surprise when Vince and Gary were surprised by two mortal boys. I wouldn't have even known they were there if one of them hadn't stepped on bone. They put up a good fight for little boys. Got my blood rushing for a second, I almost laughed so hard I exploded when I saw who their patroness were. The cowardly Hestia and the crazy Hera, they must be out of their minds to pick mortals to represent them."

"So what does that make you huh? Considering you were born a mortal and now live like a zombie, I think that's even crazier. Can you believe people actually worshipped this pompous bag of wind?" Leilani boldly spoke out drawing attention to herself.

Xylon snorted and made some noise that sound like a pig laughing. Iggy rolled his eyes and spoke up loudly. "I know, he's so delusional. Who plays a fiddle, no a lyre while watching his city burn out? Arsonist always think they can get what they want and won't get caught. He was blatantly screaming out, "I did it, I set the Great Fire"" just so he could build that eye sour of a house."

Leilani giggled as she acted like a spokes model. "Yes come one come all to the Domus Aurea, the Palace of Gold that will crush you in your sleep. I have riches you can sleep on, but don't complain about all the back aches you get. Stub your toes on all the jeweled floors, waiting for you to bleed to death on them."

"Than erect a hundred foot statue making you look like a son god, but in reality is compensation to how small and unremarkable his performance was. I mean he had five wives, but no heirs. What does that tell you?"

Nero growled and order the two mortals to shut up if they didn't want to wake the Beast. They both laughed and asked when the Enchantress was going to take him back to ugly old castle in France. He ordered Mickey and Cade to shut them up.

They boys came over to the cages. Cade thrust his knife inside tried to gut Leilani, only for the girl to maneuver herself in the cage avoiding the knife. Mickey let out a yell of surprise as he was hit in the head by the book of quotes.

"ENOUGH! You two and that filthy animal will behave yourselves or I shall have you two fight to the death. Now Meg, please order Apollo to help you open the gates. The Grove of Dodona awaits us."

* * *

Meg and Apollo put their hands on the gate. Together, the gates slowly started to unwind and at last you could see the sacred grove. Meg was instantly overwhelmed as the voices told her the truth. Nero had planned all along to burn the Grove, kill the hostages, and rebuild his palace on Long Island. She walked a few steps back to her stepfather, opened her mouth to protest, before faltering and hitting the ground unconscious.

"To bad Meg, I hoped you be strong enough to control the Grove of Dodona. At last, you couldn't even handle a few simple lies from a forest dedicated to a senile goddess." He kicked his stepdaughter in her side before ordering Mickey to carry her away. "When you want to do something right you have to do it yourself."

That was exactly what the Acolyte and Champion thought. Touching the black fronds on her clothes, Leilani asked them to help protect their goddess's grove. The ferns came off her outfit slipping between the bars, growing until the tree cages broke apart freeing the three of them.

With the tree parts flying everywhere none of the bad guys noticed as small darts flew through the air, embedding themselves in exposed skin. Nero got hit three times and the others only once. Mickey dropped Meg as the poison started to spread. The frangipani flower was harmless, but the sap from the plant was poisonous causing sever skin irritation and made your eyes water to anyone one who touched it without protection. A fiery glow produced a shadow of a peace sign for a few seconds before vanishing.

The Acolyte and Champion took their stances. "Hestia and Hera, we pray that your blessing will help us right now," both said in unison. Instantly a bright ichor colored aura, formed around them as rush of divinity filled them. Even Xylon was filled with energy as the lion furred collar made him grow and change into a half lion, half pig creature.

Iggy charged forward as his fellow redhead Cade rushed to intercept him. His knife swiped out only for the crack of a whip to slap him on the wrist. He howled in and dropped the knife. Iggy snatched it up putting in his pocket for later.

"I'm going to stomp you into next week!" Cade yelled, the tall boy swung a fist at Iggy, who blocked the attack. He kicked his foot out striking the boy's knee. The older boy's eyes watered at the pain. He pulled his left arm all the way back before slamming it into the Minnesota boy's chest.

Without the protective chest wear, Iggy was sure his ribs would have been severally cracked with the power behind that hit. He stumbled backwards. He kept getting hit again and again, only to use whip to hit his foe in a very painful manly spot. He could feel his blessing growing deep inside him, as he called for its power to aid him.

Flinging off his hood, he wrapped it around Cade. The older boy struggled for a second as the material grew and covered him. He fought with a ferocity trying to get out. There was a soft zing and the fabric fell away revealing a statue of Hestia.

Seeing his buddy turned into a lawn sculpture, Mickey, in anger attacked the boy, only to be pounced on by the hybrid pig/lion named Xylon. Xylon roared and opened his snout wide. His piggy teeth had been replaced by sharp fangs. He bit down on the man's pants, drawing a trickle of blood. Xylon spit the leg out before the poisonous sap could touch him.

"Hope you enjoy being a hearthstone," Iggy commented calmly as he waved his sacred flame over the guy's face. The sacred flame burned bright transforming the man into a hearthstone. The duo hurried over to Meg's unconscious form and slipped the peace sign necklace over her neck. "May Hestia's sacred flame grant you the protection and peace you need to find your own way."

"PEACHES!" the grain spirit came flying down next to his mistress and shook her awake. Meg blinked and stood up, her swords in her hands. She waited for Iggy and Xylon to attack her, but they did nothing. Peaches tugged her arm and pointed to the grove. Without sparing a glance the daughter of Demeter and her karpos raced between the battles and headed into the grove.

Leilani had placed herself right in front of the hostages, just daring Nero, who was getting closer with his lit match. She pelted him with real stones she had coated with a glaze to make them stronger. A smile appeared on her face when she hit him directly in the nose breaking it! "Looks like you can get that total face transplant finally, then again, it be hard to find anyone who would want their features displayed on your ugly body."

"YOU STUPID INSIGNIFICANT BARBARIAN OF A GIRL! YOU WILL BE MY FIRST SACRIFICE BEFORE I BUILD MY PALACE!"

"Don't count on it Nero, or should I call you Nona?" The Hawaiian girl pictured what she wanted in her mind then snapped her fingers. The rush of her power flew out of her fingers. Seconds later, she heard the screams of a females. Opening her eyes, she saw what she wanted to see.

Gary, Vince, and Nero had been transformed from dangerous men, to highly pregnant females unable to move or attack because of their swollen breasts, aching feet, and the heavy weight of the pseudo child inside them. "Got to say you look a bit more attractive a girl Nona." You couldn't do much to improve on his ugliness, but at least he looked clean and refreshed. "Never mess with the Champion of Womanhood."

Nero had turned purple and had a murderous rage in his eyes. Looking around he found his two servants transformed into symbols of pathetic goddess. His right hand man Vince had been flung out of the antechamber as his forefather Apollo freaked about a female Gary. There was no sign of Meg, his hostages were started to wake up and he had been bested by a barbarian mortal girl. He was beyond angry.

In a bestial roar he threw lit matches everywhere in the antechamber creating a blazing Greek Fire storm that would soon destroy this whole place. "Go ahead, try to save your precious grove and friends. I hope you all die in the effort! My wreaking crew will personally take my vengeance for me!" He then rolled away with his only bodyguard left leaving everyone else to die.

Leilani and Apollo went to work freeing the hostages as Xylon started kicking dug up soil on the Greek Fire, but it wasn't going out. Iggy was helping when he dropped everything. Holding out his arms he concentrated, willing the symbols of his patroness to towards him. The transformed humans assembled themselves just in front of the fire. Removing his lantern, he placed it in the hands of the statue.

Hestia's statue glowed brightly as the hearthstone beneath it called the Greek Fire closer. Soon it condensed into a single tower of flame as it changed from the dangerous incendiary device into regular fire that was sucked into the lantern. The light inside burned extra hot transforming the protective fire into a flame of hope.

"Use this to cut everyone free! Apollo get those chimes in the Grove now! I'm going after Nero with Xylon. We need to make sure he's banished from here forever!" Iggy shouted tossing Leilani the knife before jumping on his pet, the Acolyte of Symbolism took off.

* * *

For the next several minutes Leilani had to keep singing to herself to avoid having her brains overloaded by the voices coming through the gates. She managed to cut down Maui first. He blinked is eyes several times before whispering "Sis?"

Maui found himself crushed in an embrace. His sister was crying/lecturing him all at the same time. The eleven year old's mind was a bit discombobulated as he tried to remember the last thing that had happened to him. Suddenly he remembered.

"Leilani, no time for hugs right now! We need to get back to camp fast! Nero's attack is greater than anyone thinks!" the boy yelled, an aura forming around him. As soon as he finished saying that, Vitas busted out of his cocoon with a wild look in his eyes. His aura seemed brighter than the others.

"What are you waiting for an invitation? Let's free our friends!" He pulled out a kunai he had made, he really enjoyed anime, unlike the rest of his family. He started to cut through the sticky bonds to release Austin as the two siblings worked on Kayla and Miranda.

"Wake up, wake up!" Vitas shouted at Austin. This was no time to be asleep. He kept cutting and slashing. The smell of the liquid Greek Fire made his nostrils burn, but he kept going. At last he finally managed to get Austin free. The son of Apollo was only a year older, but he weighed more than Vitas, so when he fell forward he nearly crushed the boy.

Lowering Austin to the ground, the Korean American looked around and spotted his discarded supply pack a few feet from where he'd been staked. Snatching it up he found some water and started pouring it into Austin mouth. The musician sputtered and got up. "Are you trying to drown me? Wait, where am I and what happened to those giant freaks?"

"Long story, the short version is we got captured by the immortal Emperor Nero, almost got burned alive and currently your father and Meg are trying to get the grove under control. Now help me with the others."

Soon everyone was free. After helping Pauli get his bearings, (and a ten out of ten on his survey), he headed home to recover. Now the mortals and demigods eyed the entrance to the Grove of Dodona. They couldn't hear any voices and wondered if that was a good thing. A few minutes later an exhausted slightly messy Apollo walked out of the Grove of Dodona. In his quiver was a simple oak arrow, no doubt a gift for saving the ancient Oracle.

"You did it! You saved the grove with Meg's help! Hey where is Meg anyways?" Maui pouted. He looked everywhere for the dumpster waif, but she wasn't anywhere.

"She's gone, back to her stepfather Nero." Everyone, but Leilani was shocked by the news. Even the ones who hadn't met Meg were hurt by another demigod betraying them. "Has Ichabod returned yet?"

"Not yet, he'll meet us back at camp once he banished Nero from Camp Half-Blood for good. Maui, do you still have that flare gun you packed?" The boy nodded.

Taking the flare gun from the pack he aimed it high at the Vince shape hole in the dome. Taking a deep breath he fired it into the air. The flare zigzagged up and out of the hold exploding in a shower of different colors. It was signal to the camp that everyone had been rescued and they were returning to help with an incoming attack.

Seeing that signal Apollo blurt something out, "The Colossus!"

"What Colossus?" Kayla asked. "You mean the Colossus of Rhodes?"

"No, the Colossus Neronis."

Cecil scratched his head. "The Colossus Neurotic?"

Ellis snorted. "You're a Colossus Neurotic, Markowitz. Apollo's talking about the big replica of Nero that stood outside the amphitheater in Rome, right?"

"I'm afraid so. While we're standing here, Nero is going to try to destroy Camp Half-Blood. The Colossus will be his wrecking crew."

Miranda flinched. "You mean a giant statue is about to stomp on our _camp?_ I thought the Colossus was destroyed centuries ago."

Ellis frowned. "Supposedly, so was the Athena Parthenos. Now it's sitting on top of Half-Blood Hill." It was a grim situation if a son of Ares was making logical sense.

"Then we need to return to camp as quickly as we can. The power of the Athena Parthenos is fueled by the people who believe in its power. With the camp nearly empty, it won't have the strength to fight a hundred foot statue. We need a ride and fast!" Maui stated, the power inside his little body was boosting his connection to his domain.

"I hope that Iggy, has found a way to get rid of Nero forever," Vitas whispered under his breath.

* * *

At that moment, Iggy was riding Xylon as they charged through the myrmeke nest. Never before was he so grateful that the ants had sealed off the tunnel leading to the secret entrance to the Labyrinth path. Nero and his bodyguard Gary continued to be slowed down by their sex change and the ants. Iggy cracked his whip, warning the ants to get out of the way as his transformed pet tracked his prey through the nest.

Finally the burst free into the woods in an open space. Reaching out with hooved paw, Xylon swiped the Emperor-God and his partner sending them flying through the air landing in a mud hole. The sex change ended and they were both men again, probably too far away for Leilani's power to extend to them.

"I will throw you to the lions myself! I chop you into little bits! No mortal makes a mockery out of me! Get him Gary!" The Germanus held out his spear aimed at the duo. He threw it at the boy.

"Roll over!" The pig/lion did as he ordered rolling over in the mud kicking it up everywhere covering the deranged emperor once more and gluing him with his body guard. A flick of Xylon's snout/muzzle and they were covered in garbage the myrmeke had collected.

"Perfect, now I can perform the banishment ceremony," Iggy said to himself. He jumped off his pet who let out growl as he looked at their foes. Nero looked pretty pathetic stuck in the mud hole, but Iggy knew deep inside, the man could still kill him at any minute. He needed to do this fast.

"You have broken the sacred Laws of Xenia. You have lied, destroyed your host's home. I charge you with the worst crime, harming a member of the house, and forcing your will upon a welcomed guest."

He opened the lantern and used his power to control the Flame of Hope, the most powerful symbol of Hestia. It grew in size until it was the size of a SUV. "I banish you and anyone of your house, who follow your dark path, save the one whose been accepted into our _house_ as a member of our _family._ I invoke the power of Hestia and Xenia. BEGONE FROM HERE FOREVER!"

The Flame of Hope started to blind Nero as it circled him. Without warning, he and his bodyguard plus any stranglers, including the transformed thugs, were sucked into the Flame. It streaked across the sky like a comet taking away the threat. As soon as it reached the edge of the valley, a white light washed over the area securing it once more from Nero's forces. Unfortunately that only applied to living creatures, not automatons.

As soon as the hearth flame returned to the lantern, Xylon shook about dropping the last thing in the pack. The enchanted stuffed flying pig. It came to life read for battle. Climbing aboard, the young Acolyte ordered the enchanted toy to get him back to camp.

* * *

Back at the camp, everyone was running around preparing for an eventual attack. Iggy's paper lantern had reached them only an hour ago. Upon seeing the message, they knew not only who they faced, but knew that that whatever he planned would be massive.

"Acolytes, secure your armor tightly! Remember we are the last line of defense! We can't let Nero's forces get to Hestia Hearth. The Hearth Fire protects this valley and all who live here, campers and nature spirits alike!" Chui commanded from the porch. He wiped some sweat off his forehead. A real attack was on the way, not a fake one. He was scared and frightened, but as a good leader he couldn't show that. No matter what he and his friends, his family, would protect Hestia's Hearth.

In Gabon's past, they didn't wear armor except for a tightly wound cloth around their chest to prevent their heart from being pierced should the mandatory shield failed. To honor his ancestors, he followed their ancient ways of fighting to the letter, wearing simple strapped sandals, loose fitting pants and swapped his fire poker for a shield. The only Greek armor he had was a helmet to protect his head.

Inside the bunk, Heather was busy tying up her hair and putting on her modified lamellar styled armor. Her Germanic roots, specifically her Goth roots, had worn this armor when they fought against or side by side with Romans. Tightening her hood, she place her sheathed _Seax_ on her belt. Adding wrist and knee guards, she felt ready to take on anything.

Sidonia was putting the finishing touches on her chest plate. Like her ancient ancestors, she wore a two layered tunic with a small helmet on her head. She tightened her boots and made sure she could still run in them. She pulled her chest plate armor over her head and admired the freshly painted Star of David declaring her allegiance to her God and he would shield her during the fight.

Eunice was the last one to get ready. She had put on a leather tanned apron on as well as elbow, wrist, shin guards. She used soot to mark her cheeks with a Hestia's name. Fingering her hammer she was ready to defend her home to the bitter end.

In Hera's cabin Uma was giving a similar speech. "The time has come for us to prove ourselves as Champions. The camp is expecting an imminent attack. Our patroness, Hera the Queen of the Heavens herself, chose us, mere mortals, to represent her. This battle isn't just about fighting in the name of Hera, it is about showing how far we've come. Camp Half-Blood it so much more than just a unique place to learn. This is our home, with the family and friends, we created for ourselves. So even if we fall in battle today, we'll have done it for the love we feel right now."

The remaining three Champions joined their leader in shouts for victory. As with the Acolytes, they drew from their ancestors and some the Greek influences to prepare them for battle.

They all still wore their polos to show their respect for their patroness. Each of them also wore guards on their shoulders and forearm for protection and sturdy footwear. That's where they split apart in their own individualized armor.

Uma was wearing traditional mirror armor that covered her entire torso Her weapons' belt held her _valari_ and her new back up weapon a can of pepper spray. She had mixed in plenty of spices from her native dishes to make it extra dangerous.

Wyatt had chosen to wear cuirassier style armor, without some of the more decorative and restrictive parts. His _rondel_ had been freshly cleaned and he had a small pistol attached to his waist, a traditional weapon that came with the armor. He had filled with six Celestial Bronze bullets. He didn't intend to take a life, only slow someone down.

Tino had transformed from a mama's boy into a fierce Aztec warrior. His armor included; a _Tlahuiztli_ and an _Ichcahuīpīlli_. He carried with his trusty _mācuahuitl_ and a few smoke bombs with him. He was not above using trickery to protect his home.

Orlanda didn't have to do much to modify her goal ball uniform into battle armor. Since she couldn't wear a helmet with her polos in her hair, she had made a visor shield she could lower to protect her eyes and help her with her "Mist Vision" while fighting. She spun her cane around and made sure her goal balls were securely strapped to her sides. Excitement filled her body as this was her chance to earn real glory to her name.

The ground shook and there was huge splash that was heard outside. It felt like an earth quake was happening. Outside they all gasped at the one hundred foot tall statue carrying a rudder started to emerge from the sound. The eight remaining mortals hardly notice the ichor colored aura appeared around them as they rushed to their proper places. The battle for Camp Half-Blood had begun.


	8. The Heroics

From a distance they could hear the Colossus coming towards the shore intent on stomping the whole camp to bits. Iggy and Xylon had caught up with Apollo and the others riding Mama and two of her soldiers flying towards the beach. It was a shocking sight to see as they came out of the woods.

There was a hundred foot naked bronze statue holding a fifty foot long pole with a stealth bomber ship rudder attached it. It was wading out of the Long Island Sound sending huge waves crashing against the beach and even into the lake capsizing the canoe Will and Nico had been in. They were swimming as hard as they could to get to dry land before more waves could drown them.

Meanwhile Chiron galloped through the dunes, harrying the Colossus with his arrows. He targeted the statue's joints and seams, yet his shots did not seem to bother the automaton at all. "More quivers!" he shouted. "Quickly!"

Rachel scrambled out of the armory carrying half a dozen and resupplied him. She then ran back to the armory to resupply anyone else who had already lost their weapon.

The giant statue walked further up the sound. Raising his weapon he brought it down intending to smash the dinning pavilion only for it to bounce off. The magical barrier was holding now. Up on Half-Blood Hill, the Golden Fleece blazed with fiery energy as Peleus the dragon hissed a warning. The Athena Parthenos fired a blast of ultraviolet light pushing the Colossus back a few feet.

Sherman was flying his chariot around the Colossus legs as Julia and Alice threw electrical lances at the knees. Burst of electricity traveled through the lower leg, but did nothing to stop the statue. Harley and Connor were using twin flame throwers in attempt to melt the statue's feet only to give him a molten pedicure, while the Nike twins manned a catapult, lobbing boulders at the statues manhood.

Malcom, a true child of Athena was coordinating the attacks from hastily built command center. He and Nyssa had war maps spread out on the card table and shouted out targeting coordinates. In the meantime; Chiara, Damien, Paolo, and Billie rushed to set up a ballistae.

The Champions had planted themselves in between the two groups, ready to act as the second line of defense. Their auras burned brightly as Uma commanded them to spread out and be ready to rush in to the assist the front lines. At Hestia Hearth, the Acolytes had formed a tight square around it standing tall and proud. They wouldn't allow the Hearth to go out.

"Maui, jump over, we need to get to the Hearth right away! Our cabin needs us!" Iggy called out. The eleven year old looked at his big sister waiting for her consent.

"Be brave my little warrior. Do what you have to do." She gave him a kiss on the forehead and convinced the soldier to fly closer to Iggy's ride. Getting his balance, Maui jumped from the ant and was caught in Xylon's jaws before he was tossed aboard.

"We're heading to join the rest of our cabin. Apollo, Miranda! Do what you can to stop that automaton's advances. Take us to the battle field please," Leilani asked her ride. The soldier wiggled its antennas. It flew low and around avoiding the flying boulders and arrows. When it was over the Champion battle line, it dipped down low enough for Leilani and Vitas to get off before heading back to the safety of the nest.

Their friends greeted them hastily. Asking if they were alright and could continue to fight the danger before them? Both nodded as Tino ran over and hastily helped Vitas into his armor making sure it was tied on correctly. "How does it fit?"

"It's perfect! I'm ready to go!" That's when they heard a sizzling and snap! The magical barrier fell as the dinning pavilion was destroyed. The Colossus was making his way towards the green to complete his mission: to destroy the cabins and more importantly, Hestia Hearth. They needed to act now!

* * *

"Champions, defend our home with honor!" Uma cried out. A few months ago the sixteen year old would have told you it would be crazy to think of her leading others into battle. That was not a woman's place. Yet here now on the battlefield Uma felt like she truly belonged. Everything she had been through since coming to Camp Half-Blood had prepared her for this moment.

The Indian girl charged and somersaulted out of the way of the feet. Jumping up, she managed to grab a hold of the bottom of the pole. Gritting her teeth, she climbed up and manage to get up ten feet. Now came the tricky part; holding onto the pole with one arm as she reached for her _valari._

Snapping her wrist, she threw the weapon angling so that it when it was spinning through the air it struck against the ankle of the left leg. It didn't leave a scratch and returned to her hand. "I won't give up. I'm one of the most dedicated people on the planet. Here I go again."

She threw the _valari_ again and again. Even as her grip on the pole sent her slipping down she refused to give up. The statue must have felt something biting its ankles because it reached down and gave it a good scratch. Uma slid off the pole and hit the ground. Scattering in the opposite direction she raised her hands and started tying an invisible Mangala Sutra, the traditional cord that was used instead of rings to symbolize a marriage bond in India.

A burst of divine power flowed through her. Unseen to everyone except for her, the Mangala Sutra formed around the statue's neck. She pulled backwards with all her might managing to move the giant monstrosity two inches back. The invisible knot put pressure on the neck joints, weakening them slightly.

Leilani saw the Colossus raise its weapon intent on striking down her friend. Hurling some rocks from her sling, they bounced off the weapon not causing any damage. That hadn't been her aim as the sound alerted her friend to the danger as she hopped out of the weapon's way. Picturing Uma in her mind, she snapped her fingers. No sex change this time, but Uma got a temporary boost in strength, helping her drag the bronze male back two more inches before she collapsed.

Wyatt came rushing to help, firing off his pistol distracting the statue. Keeping in mind to avoid the flame throwers, Wyatt ducked and weaved between its legs. Scooping Uma up, he started carrying her back to the safety of the command post.

"LOOK OUT!" Connor yelled as the Colossus swung its weapon at the ground, tearing up the grass sending it flying everywhere. The fifteen year old covered Uma's body, protecting her from the flying debris. The earth kept shaking bringing more dirt on them. They were being buried alive!

Underneath the piling dirt the boy tried to keep calm as the world around him got darker. Wyatt could feel the whole camps emotions rushing into him. Their fear, their hope, and their anger. It multiplied inside him as his aura glowed brightly. Channeling those emotions he gripped his _rondel_ and aimed up.

A mini explosion happened sending the earth flying everywhere. Several pieces struck the lower back and butt annoying the Colossus even more. Once again it turned away from the green heading back to the dunes. Before it could fully turn it was blasted again by pure white light. Wyatt stood tall and proud channeling everyone's emotions through his weapon as it was converted into raw power. Thin slices of bronze started to fall off its back, making a target for the other campers to aim at.

* * *

Vitas started calling the statue a dozen bad names in Korean. He made rude gestures and described how the statue was an abomination by his cultural standards. Only Malcolm might have understood what the boy was doing, but he was too busy yelling at Valentina to get the torches to light the ballista missiles to increase the damage to the statue.

"That's right, come on Ugly! You're nothing special! You'll look better as a bunch of garden gnomes!" His aura grew brighter and brighter until Vitas felt his feet leave the ground! A pair of cockatoo wings sprouted out of his back, leaving the boy surprised for a few seconds. Imagining he was an anime character he flew up into the sky. Grasping his kunai he hurled the weapon at one of the Colossus eye's hoping to blind it, but it bounced off landing somewhere on the beach.

Diving, he twisted about going in loops around the statues wrists. He used his _pyeongon_ on the bronze metal, doing his best to ruin the wrists. It wasn't doing the amount of damage he needed. Closing his eyes, he pictured the heavens from his traditional upbringing and what he heard about Olympus. He spread his arms wide releasing a huge amount of cosmic energy

The Colossus used its weapon to block the attack gaining inches. Vitas continued to fight back pushing his power to the limits. With careful calculation he dropped from the sky as the backlash of his power took out the climbing wall.

Tino slashed his _maquahuitl_ in an arc protecting him from the falling debris. A huge foot sank mere centimeters in the ground before him. Giving a worthy battle cry, he jumped on the right foot that nearly crushed him. Like his bunk mate, he used his weapon cutting through layers of the bronze in an attempt to slow it down. The statue was moving again, heading for the cabins.

"NO YOU DON'T!" he shouted hurling the smoke bombs on the ground. The thick cloud of smoke spread across the grass and command post hiding them from sight. Thankfully it saved the catapult and ballista from being smashed. Confused, the statue started to move in another direction.

Drawing back of his fist, Tino was flooded with the strength of a mother's love. The kind that allowed them to perform great acts of strength. The love wasn't just his, it was the love all the campers shared for their mothers. When he struck the top of the foot, he had enough strength to pile drive his fist straight through leaving a neat hole in the statue.

The statue started to sway a bit and rocked back a little bit. It was having trouble finding his balance with its injured foot. Something Orlanda took advantage of as she maneuvered through the battle field. Her "Mist Vision" gave her a clear outline of the statue and certain parts blinked suggesting weakness.

"Who needs a naked statue of themselves to have eternal glory? No one and that's why I'm going to enjoy ruining Nero's Colossus footwork!" She signaled for Vitas to come get her. Her friend had recovered enough strength to lift her up and drop her on the left foot.

"Time to mess with your footwork. I enjoy whack a giant foot." Standing up she started pounding away at the foot. The earlier molten pedicure had soften the metal a bit. Orlanda hit the weak spots in several different patterns causing the metal to buckle a bit, making it harder to walk. The Colossus was angry as it kicked its foot back and forth trying to dislodge her. Orlanda held on tight.

"I need some help!" she yelled at herself. _Use the power within. Recall the days and heroes of glory_ a voice that sounded exactly like Hera's echoed in her mind. "What does that even mean? How is recalling one's days of glory going to help?" Digging her cane into the foot she thought about the words. Then it came to her.

Whistling as loud as she could summoned echoes of battles past. Campers who had died in battle, their shades answered her call hoping for one last chance of glory. The other campers appeared startled by their appearances or why they carried goal balls as they attacked the Colossus. Jumping off the statue, she whistled some more fallen shades, leading them into battle.

* * *

The six Acolytes stood firm around their patroness's altar. Despite all attempts to stop it, the Colossus was moving towards the cabins again, specifically Demeter's cabin. No doubt Nero's petty revenge against Meg's mom. The enchanted stuffed animal rose up and bashed the statue in the face before one swipe of the rudder blade destroyed it. The remains fell to the ground before reverting back to stuffing.

Iggy's knees buckled and he fell forward only to be caught by his beloved pig, whose transformation had worn off. Their bodies ached all over from using their powers for a fifteen minutes. "Thanks boy. My blessing special power has been spent. I barely have enough energy to stand." Xylon helped him stand as they took their place among the others.

Heather looked around and saw that everyone was losing steam. Up in the sky Apollo and his children appeared to be attempting to obtain arrows from the statues armpit with little success. The ground troops did their best, but their movements were a tad slower, their aim less precise. Even the power of the Champions was waning. Nero's giant statue was wearing them all down.

"Let's build the fire up! Make its power as strong as it can be!" Heather added more kindle to the fire, using her poker to spread the embers making sure the flames grew higher and higher. As it got hotter the color of the flame started to change from reddish orange to pure gold thanks to the chemical makeup of their Celestial Bronze pokers.

The statue paused for two minutes memorized by the color and the way it danced across his own bronze chest. During those two minutes Heather followed her instincts. Using her _Seax,_ she sliced open her left palm. Ignoring the pain, she let several drops of blood land in the fire causing it to slither out of the Hearth towards her. Her aura merged with the fire giving her great strength.

Embracing herself, she let her merged aura travel across the grass. Once it came in contact with members of the camp, her family, the bonds she shared with them renewed them, for a second chance to fight. The unity felt between them raised their failing hope back up. "The bond between our families is strong, strong enough to protect our home," she whispered to herself. Tearing a piece of her hood off; she bandaged hand up.

"You might have bought us some time, but it's not going to stop!" Sidonia cried out as she pointed towards the enemy. The Colossus was once again heading towards Demeter's cabin. Miranda and Billie would be homeless, Demeter would be filled with anger and rage, and part of Camp Half-Blood would be gone forever. They couldn't let the Beast have his revenge and rob Meg of the place she truly belonged to.

"Maui, Eunice, back me up!" Sidonia was no longer afraid to be in the spotlight as she ran closer to Demeter cabin. All her scented candles from around the cabins appeared right in front of her. She stumbled losing her glasses, as the candles started to pop back to where they came from.

"Not the time for this. Where are they?" she searched the grass frantically looking for her glasses. The right foot was coming down going to destroy the cabin and Sidonia with it!

"I think someone should clean your clock!" Eunice shouted. Her blessing power concentrated in her brain. Using telekinesis she brought out all the cleaning products from the Big House. "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude not to clean yourself up before coming to someone's home?"

It was something out of Disney movie, like that added scene in Beauty and the Beast, where all the objects in the castle started to clean it as they sang about becoming human again. Mops and brooms attacked the top of the head. They kept cleaning and hiding behind the sun crown points. They were attempting clean a big hole straight into the statue's brain.

Cans of different cleaning sprays bombarded the statue's body releasing their chemical spray. Some of them started to corrode the statue a tiny bit. Others blinded the statue. Laundry sheets and sewing needles worked together to create a cover for the weapon. "This won't work for long! Sidonia you need to find your glasses!"

"I need another minute or two!"

Eunice focused her mind on her hammer. It wobbled in the air unsteadily. She moved it with her mind as she positioned it in the middle of the face. With the last bit of her power she struck her weapon, creating tiny cracks in the statue's nose.

She fell back as Maui came forward throwing his _Ihe_. All that training helped give him the muscles he needed to help get his spear high enough that it stuck in the right knee. They Colossus dropped his weapon destroying the temporary command center, just so he could yank the weapon out of his knee and hurl it towards its obsession.

Only for it to bounce off a temporary protective barrier. Sidonia ahd found her glasses and using her club and powers, had created mini hearths all around the cabin. She had lit them with her lantern. She kept teleporting more candles and hearth stones spreading their circle wider. "I'm creating my own miracle. I will not let you destroy all that is sacred here!"

"That's right Sidonia! Now it's my turn to play!" the eleven year old Maui laughed crazily. He pulled out his model for the dinning pavilion. With his blessing powers the model grew until it was the size of the former building. The model slammed into the Colossus's stomach spinning it around before coming to rest over the remains of the previous one.

Models of the different cabins kept slamming into the Colossus sending it spinning around driving it back to towards the beach. The statue forced itself to stop. If he could scream he probably would have bellowed loud enough to be heard across all five boroughs. He got ready to jump on top of the cabins.

" _NO! STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. I COMMAND YOU_!" Chui called out. His voice was amplified and there was a hint of magic to it, like charm speak, but this was different. More authoritative and stern. Amazingly, it worked, the Colossus had stopped.

" _LEAVE THIS CAMP RIGHT NOW! RETURN TO THE SOUND! DON'T COME BACK!"_ Chui shouted. He fired a few bolts from his crossbow toward the beach letting the statue know which way to go. The Colossus was slowly turning around taking a few steps towards the beach. " _GOOD KEEP GOING. WATCH WHERE YOU STEP. GO SLOWLY PLEASE."_

The Colossus kept walking towards the beach, the others keeping a close eye on it. Chui continued to speak with all the authority he could muster. Beside him, his fellow Acolyte started pooling the remaining power of their blessing to form an avatar of Hestia's sacred animal. It grew in size protecting the Hearth. The Colossus was almost back on the sand when Chui's voice gave out.

The spell was broken and the statue appeared to be angry. It lifted its hand trying to swat Apollo and his kids chariot out of the sky. Austin pulled on the reins gaining height avoiding the hand by mere inches. Kayla was yelling something and Apollo looked shaken.

* * *

That's when back up finally arrived in the form of Percy Jackson and his hell hound Mrs. O'Leary appearing on the top of the Colossus head. It was clear in an instant that hell hounds preferred their feet on the ground and not on the top of statues as urine covered the statue's head.

Wyatt was hovering over Uma as he listened to Percy exchange words with Apollo about the state of the situation. He watched as the son of Poseidon cut of one the crowns points and shoved it into the Colossus forehead. He cut off another one and tossed back into the bay, his hell hound going after it.

"By Kali has that thing been destroyed yet?" Uma moaned as she came to. She coughed several times to get the dirt out of her lungs. Wyatt hugging her made it worse. "Let…go…of…me."

"Sorry, we were really worried about you. Can you still fight?" he demanded her. She shook her head and barked at him. "Call the others here. Our powers are failing. We need to pool the last of them together to form an avatar to hold that statue in place." She stood up taking out her special pepper spray formula. She needed to give it to Apollo, to help ensure his plague arrow would be effective.

Wyatt did as he asked, calling out to the other Champions to gather around their leader. Each of them stopped what they were doing and heading over to Uma at top speed. They had just reached her when the chariot crashed onto the beach leaving the two demigods and the ex-god moaning in the sand. "Wyatt help me over there."

Reaching the clustering group around Apollo, Hera's cabin heard him say, "The plague arrow is ready! We need to shoot it into the Colossus ear!" Out of the crowd Cecil's voice asked loudly, "Are they contagious?" As Uma pushed through to the center she saw the boy pointing at sickly looking Kayla and Austin.

"No!" Apollo said. Then he looked a bit sheepish before continuing. "Well…probably not. It's the fumes from the arrow that made them like this." The others started to back away as Uma walked forward towards Apollo. She ignored the fumes, not letting them get to her.

"Whatever you summoned won't be enough on its own. I'm adding my special blend of pepper spray to this plague. Hopefully this will make it work faster. Hold your breath and cover your eyes." Everyone did as she commanded as she empty the entire can all over the arrow. The fumes became a mix of orange and green.

Standing up, she beckoned her friends closer. "We're going to pool the last of our blessings powers together. Hopefully we can create an avatar that will hold the Coleuses in the right position for the shot. Be warned, we only have enough left for two minutes top. Good luck."

"Wait a minute who are you….?" Percy started to ask before Chiron touched his shoulder steering him back to the conversation with Apollo.

The Colossus interest in the hell hound had been spent. It was coming back up the beach ready to smash everyone gathered to pieces. Linking their arms together, the Champions pored every last drop of divine power from their blessing together. A giant peacock wearing a polos formed. Fanning its feathers, the avatar strutted over and used its massive wings to hold the giant statue in position, giving Apollo a clear shot at its ear. The avatar let out a shriek as it started to fade.

Apollo drew back on the bow Chiron had lent him. The arrow of Dodona twitched back and forth as it gave advice to Apollo. He aimed the plague arrow and released it. The arrow twirled up in the air, but there hadn't been enough force to keep it going straight as it veered a bit off course. A gust of wind caught it and sent the air straight into the statue's ear where they heard it clink around like a pachinko machine.

The avatar faded it away and luckily it wasn't needed. The statue had stopped on its own. The Colossus looked at the sky as head tilted back and it tried to sneeze a tornado out of its blocked nose. The building pressure caused geysers of motor oil out of its ears contaminating the beach. Everyone was watching in confusion wondering what was going on.

"What kind of plague makes you sneeze?" Sherman demanded, Miranda was holding his hand trying to calm him down after being thrown from his prized chariot.

"I'm afraid I—I summoned a rather benign illness. I believe I've given the Colossus a case of hay fever." Apollo looked at the statue with all the hope he could gather. This had to work, they didn't have any more options.

As everyone watched, the early damage to the different parts of the statue had caused problems with the joints, especially the ones on its neck. When it sneezed this time, the head completely separated from the body hitting the water and causing a tidal surge that Percy blocked. Seconds later the head sank. Without the head the rest of the body fell apart, each piece landing in different parts of the Sound.

"Well that de-escalated pretty fast," Alice whistled

"What in Hades just happened?" Sherman asked in awe.

"I believe the Colossus sneezed his head off." Apollo looked stunned by his accomplishment. A cheer went up all around the camp. As the adrenaline stopped pumping many of the campers succumbed to their exhaustion including the Champions and Acolytes.

* * *

Eunice was the first one to stir from her cot. Her body ached all over, her scares flaring in pain. She had major headache. Her body screamed for food and something to drink. Someone gently propped her up. "Eunice, I need you to wake up. I've got some medicine for you."

The scent of brownies made her open her eyes all the way. She blinked several times to clear them. "Will?" she asked hesitantly. He nodded his head gently. He held a bag in his hands filled with some brownies and bottles of juice. "That's medicine?"

Will nodded. "Percy found the bag near the medicine cabinet for you guys. The writing on the bag says, "For Acolytes and Champions only. One brownie and juice container per person. Only to be used in an extreme emergency." Glancing at his father, he whispered, "My dad told me these are Hestia's special brownies and Hera's secret fruity passion drink. Since your blessings come from them, he figures they might help restore you to normal."

"I'm not one to turn down a free snack." Eunice held out her hand and took the brownie. It smelled okay, she took a tiny nibble. It tasted wonderfully sweet with only a hint spice. Taking a sip out of the juice bottle her head started to feel better. "Hmm, this is really good."

Will nodded and told her to eat and drink her medicine slowly. He didn't know what effects this medicine would have on mortals. He just had to trust that Hestia and Hera wouldn't put their mortals at risk.

One by one the others woke up, each feeling as if they had been run over by the Colossus. Different parts of their bodies ached. Even Xylon was exhausted and in pain, oinking for some relief. Will dispensed the brownies and juice, along with some special raw treats for him.

"I can't believe that a bunch of brownies are actually healing you. I thought you twelve were mortals?" Percy asked. He was taking a short break before heading out to recruit some whales and hippocampi to drag the remains of the Colossus to his dad's underwater palace. He claimed that his dad, was going to use it as welcoming gift to his goddess sister Kymopoleia, who was finally being allowed to visit her father's new palace.

"We are mortals. We received a small blessing from our patronesses. A point one percent that allowed us to see through the Mist, get in and out of camp, and I guess powers when there's an extreme emergency going on," Heather explained. She ate another tiny bite of the brownie. She could feel her strength coming back.

"It was nice having powers for a little bit, but I think we should be grateful that they only come out in time of extreme emergencies," Tino said quietly. He swirled his juice as he thought back to the power that rushed inside him earlier. The feeling of being wrapped in love and super strength made a part of him feel as if he was finally an equal to the demigods. He had been tempted to keep that power all to himself. Instead he was glad when it was over. He was just fine being himself.

"Did my models vanish after the battle? I passed out before I could see for myself." Leilani reported that the word from the rest of the campers was all his models, except the dinning pavilion, had disappeared. Though one of the columns was a bit crooked it was still stable enough to use.

Percy left the infirmary shortly after to start hauling the pieces away. Sidonia, Vitas, and Orlanda wanted to help join the clean-up crew outside take care of the mess, but Uma and Chui put their feet down on that idea.

"We've been through a lot these past few days. We shouldn't be pushing ourselves so soon. We need to rest and recover our strength."

"Chui's right of course. Now I know we all liked to be in our own beds, but let's humor Will and spend the night here just in case our special medicine causes a problem with one of us."

"Yeah we can talk about what happened to us after we help clean up the camp tomorrow," Wyatt added. That satisfied the others who were too tired to move. Curling under their covers they ignored the sounds of extreme cases of hay fever and went to sleep. Will and Apollo took turns coming in and out of the infirmary to check on their patients all night.

When breakfast was served the next morning half of last night's damage had been cleaned up by the nymphs, satyrs, and the harpies. The foot prints had been filled in with fresh earth. A lot of the debris had been cleared away while the harpies had snatched up all the fallen weapons and placed them in the forge for fixing.

Most of the demigods, including the Acolytes, joined in cleaning the beach and surrounding area up from last night's oil spill. Apollo and the Champions were rebuilding the canoe dock while Rachel and Percy brought back all the pegusi who had stamped away last night in fear. Chiron was up in the Big House doing something very important.

* * *

Lunch came around and everyone enjoyed their meal thanking Maui professedly for recreating their dinning pavilion. The boy blushed. "It was nothing, but don't expect it to happen again anytime soon. I have no idea when or if that power will return."

"I hope that it does! You were so cool during the fight!" Harley told him in admiration. Each demigod friend of the mortals complimented them and voiced how amazing they were. A few volunteered to help them train in their ethnic fighting style to improve their skills.

A conch shell whistled as everyone turned their attention to Chiron. The Centaur stood up with a pleased expression on his face. "Campers, you should all congratulate yourself and each other. Last night was one of the worst attacks in Camp Half-Blood's history. The odds were stacked against us and even when our rescue group returned, all seemed lost. Yet through bravery, skill, and a little luck, we prevailed once more thank the gods."

"Thank the gods!" the campers responded with a bit more enthusiasm than usual. Everyone turned and looked at Apollo, who was trying to make himself as small as he could. The Champions could still feel his emotions and thoughts. Apollo felt that he didn't deserve their praise and that he was the one who caused the whole problem in the first place.

"Today we should honor all those whose exceptional skills helped achieve our victory. So please head to the amphitheater for our Honoring Heroics Ceremony!" Everyone cheered as they headed to their destination. Rachel linked her arm with Apollo and escorted him to the ceremony.

The amphitheater was decorated with colorful flags with symbols of all the gods great and minor. Despite the cold, several flowers lined the steps. On the stage two ceremonial torches burned brightly. A small raised platform had been moved onto the stage for the honorees to be seen. Standing off the side several satyrs were playing music as the nymphs held onto the laurel wreaths.

Chiron jumped on stage and the ceremony began. "Welcome everyone! Today we follow the age old tradition of honoring those who have proven themselves to be true heroes and outstanding examples to their peers. Remember, even if you don't receive a wreath today, you are all heroes."

They all nodded, each person eager to get a wreath as a trophy. "Our first honor goes to a person who displayed maturity, natural leadership, and outstanding intelligence. Without him, we would have fallen in minutes. Malcolm Pace please come up here."

A surprised Malcolm was shoved towards the stage. He looked very proud of himself. He shook Chiron hand and accepted his award. He stood on the platform waving to everyone. Excited that no one was teasing him about forgetting his pants last night.

"Our next honor goes to our greatest healer. Without his assistance many of us would not be here today. Will Solace, come up here to receive your award." Kayla and Austin hugged their brother and Apollo gave his son a handshake. Nico smiled at his significant other. Will accepted his award with great humbleness.

"This reward is a very special one that I've had the pleasure of giving to very few demigods. It a prize for one who goes beyond their limits to help someone, a person who in the most dangerous circumstances, chooses to do the right thing no matter what the consequences maybe. For now, the true honoree can't receive this, but I humbly ask Miranda Gardiner and Billie Nyg to accept this reward in place of their absent sister Meg. Hopefully, one day, she will return healed in mind, body, and soul."

Everyone was silent as the daughter of Demeter walked up on the stage. Both of them had pained looks on their faces. They were still angry that Meg betrayed them. At the same time, they wanted her to come back and let them help her find peace. Accepting the wreath they both stood up and bowed before Chiron asked them to return to their seats.

"These next few rewards, some are old and others new. I hope that no one gets upset with these new rewards. This first reward goes to a master of rituals, whose tracking skills aided our rescue team. Ichabod Stein, please come up here with your pet Xylon."

Shocked to be honored for something so basic, it took a shove from both of Ares's sons to get the boy moving. Xylon didn't need a nudge, excited by the energy around him. Receiving his laurel wreath, Iggy did his best to appear humble and kind. Xylon held his head high as he could feeling like the most important pig in the world.

"Two people share this award. For outstanding performances in battle as a woman for both physical and mental prowess. Leilani Huiah and Uma Naballie, you have both demonstrated these qualities. I am honored to present these wreaths to you."

Leilani skipped on stage laughing happily as she put her new flower crown on her head. Uma bowed slightly and waved at everyone as she took her award. Both girls linked hands and took their place on the raised platform, hugging their friend as they listened to the next reward, one for selfless actions and courage.

"While their choices may have been wrong at the time, I cannot fault those who put others safety first, even in the face of danger. These young heroes refused to abandon their friends in their time of need. Maui Huiah and Vitas Choi, you deserve this reward."

Vitas managed to keep Maui from tackling the centaur in an enthusiastic hug. The young rebel did a fist pump gaining cheers. With the wreath on his head he finally felt like the person who he was supposed to be. Maui as usual was going on about how it was his namesake that made him so selfless.

Tino Gonzales and Heather Tebra received rewards for displays of unity, family, and above all, using their powers to help others during the crises. Tino cried happily wishing his mom could see him now. Heather was wondering how she would explain this reward to her parents when she finally saw them again.

Eunice Tanner and Orlanda Frankfurt got rewards for the most creative use of their powers. Both of them had mastered their divine ability in seconds and used them well enough to render the Colossus weaponless. Both girls jumped up and down and high fived one another.

Wyatt Grimwood and Sidonia Silverstein felt a little overwhelmed by receiving awards for protecting the campers. Wyatt preened a bit as he took his reward as for once, Sidonia was happy to be the center of attention soaking it up.

Chui Freeman was the last one to accept his award. It was a new one for a person who demonstrated their domain the best. For once he didn't know what to say, he was just excited. He felt really proud of himself. He had no regrets now about his choice in becoming an Acolyte.

* * *

After the ceremony everyone went back to their cabins to clean up after a hard morning of work. Well everyone, but Apollo, Rachel, and Percy who had been assigned to keep an eye on the ex-god just in case he decided to bolt from the camp. After the events of last night, it was obvious that something had changed with Apollo. More importantly, he needed help if he was to complete his quest to reclaim the old oracles.

The Acolytes were complementing one another very pleased by their awards. They waved at the Champions, who were just as excited. Both groups entered their cabins, wanting to put their laurel wreaths somewhere safe. Upon entering all six members of each cabin gasped in disbelief. Standing next their altars were Hestia/Hera! "What are you doing here queen/humble Hera/Hestia," both groups asked at once.

Hestia smiled kindly as she walked around _her_ cabin. She looked at the pretty decorations admiring the candle holders or the ribbons on the wall. The floor was nice and clean. She adored the porch and open window set up. Peeking into the bathroom, she admired how simple the room was. Coming back into the main room all her Acolytes had gathered on the floor next to the hearth. She sank down next to them. "I enjoy this cabin design. Very comfortable, welcoming, and simple."

"Thank you Patroness. We're glad that you like it. It's has been a very comfortable home for us since we arrived here," Chui informed her. "We have done our best to represent you and uphold the duties of an Acolyte. We hope that you're pleased."

Hestia assured them that she was pleased. Wiggling her fingers, Xylon came over to her and plopped down. He enjoyed the goddess scratching his belly. It was easy to see that Hestia also enjoyed pampering the pig. It had been a long time since she had quality time with her symbolic animal.

"Patroness Hestia, we're glad to see you, but how are you here now? All communication between the gods and Camp Half-Blood has been disrupted. Even getting your message was a shock. If you're able to be here does that mean communication issues are cleared up?" Heather asked politely. She was having a difficult time accepting this.

Hestia sighed and reached out her hand. When Heather tried to touch it her own hand went right through. "I'm not really here _here_ Heather. As you six have suspected for some time, there are multiple pantheons of ancient gods and goddesses still around. Contact between those pantheons have not been compromised. Some of them lent me their power so a part of my essences could come here."

"Why? Are you here to tell us something or do you want information about what's been going on?" Sidonia asked.

Hestia explained that after last night's attack on the camp was too big to ignore and her pantheon had been alerted to the situation. Her brother Zeus wasn't allowing any interference after what happened during the quest last summer. He wanted Apollo to fix things and wouldn't be raising a godly hand to help.

The Acolytes snorted at that wondering if it was god trait to be insufferable jerks most of the time. Even though they didn't say it out loud, they had a feeling their patroness could sense what was on their minds. Instead of scolding them she decided to answer some of their unspoken questions.

"You are curious about why you picked up on something odd about Meg correct? As Acolytes you all have great observational skills. You are the ones who offer hospitality and do what you can to make everyone comfortable," Hestia explained as she lowered her veil to look at each of them with pride in her eyes.

"With my tiny blessing you can sense things about people that they might try to hide. It's all part of being a being an Acolyte and member of this family. As it is your job to keep the family safe. Even help others who are in need of help."

Over in Hera's cabin she was giving them a similar speech explaining that having them hear and feel Apollo's thoughts and emotions was to help them with their duties. "It also my first attempt at making amends for what I did to his mother. Hestia convinced me I should try to start with one person and see where it goes from there."

Her Champions congratulated her and told her they were proud of her. Each of them patted themselves on the back for helping improve Hera's image around camp and being an inspiration. At last she was getting a bit of respect and goodwill.

"Queen Hera, where did our powers come from? Will they show up again? Are those brownies and juice we had last night good for us all the time?" Orlanda asked. Her blank eyes couldn't hide her curiosity and desire to master said powers.

"Your divine abilities come from me, but only under an extreme circumstances. As mortals, you're not meant to wield that kind of power for very long, fifteen minutes at best, before you have to stop. I don't wish to see you burn out. That is the only instance you should take those brownies and juice, they have a bit of our power in them to prevent the blessing from over running your bodies. That gives your mortal bodies a chance to heal."

She looked thoughtful for a minute as she picked her words carefully. "Your skills and willpower have served you well in keeping up with the demigods here," Hera told them patiently. She seemed like a different woman, more relaxed and kinder. She was giving them the same amount of respect she give to other members of her family.

Hera felt herself being called back, so she had to finish the conversation quickly. "There are many challenges awaiting you in the near future. Some will be personal and others will be deadly. I urge each of you to make the choice that is best for _you._ Until we meet again. Goodbye." She vanished from sight giving her Champions much to think about.

* * *

The twelve mortals showered and changed heading to the dinning pavilion. As they got closer they realized that all the campers had lined up and held numbers. It appeared they were taking turns hitting a Hispanic kid who was waving his arms around. Sitting at a table with Percy and Apollo was a beautiful young woman.

She had long caramel brown hair and almond shape eyes. Her skin was flawless and when she spoke her voice had a melodious tone. She wore some comfortable jeans, a white blouse and a shocking pink ski jacket. Both Percy and Apollo looked nervous sitting next to her. There was a roar and burst of fire as a bronze dragon rolled around the area.

They all stopped in their tracks. The puzzle pieces were clicking together. These newcomers weren't strangers, but people the campers knew. Not to mention there was only one person in Camp Half-Blood history that would deserve people punching him and still smile happily. Leo Valdez had returned.

They got closer and could hear Leo talking. "So as I was saying, if Fetus hadn't picked up on the homing beacon yesterday, we'd still be flying around, looking for a way out of the Sea of Monsters."

"Oh, I hate that place," Percy said with a shiver. "There's this big Cyclops Polyphemus—"

"Boys," Calypso said, "perhaps we should focus on the present? After all, I believe these twelve mortals would like to introduce themselves." Calypso slid off her bench and held out her hand. "Calypso, daughter of Atlas."

"Chui Freeman, Head Acolyte of Hestia Cabin. My domain is stately order. These are my friends and bunk mates. Heather, Ichabod, but he prefers Iggy. Then we have Sidonia, Eunice, and little Maui." There was a big grunt and Chui apologized introducing Calypso to Xylon, the cabin's mascot.

"A pleasure to meet you all. It's a surprise to see Hestia getting involved with anything outside her sacred hearth. I'm glad that she stepped outside her comfort zone." She turned her attention towards Uma, noting the polos and symbol attached to it. "I find it even harder to believe that Hera has chosen to do something nice for a change. Exactly who are you?"

"Uma Naballie, Head Champion of Hera Cabin. My domain is Marriage. These are my fellow Champions. Wyatt, Leilani, Tino, Vitas, and of course our bravest Orlanda."

Calypso shook hands with each one, complimenting them on how impressed she was by the mortals and the jobs they did. In turn, they told her how brave and courageous she was becoming mortal and living her life the way she wanted to.

"You're very pretty, much prettier than the books said. Is it true you had invisible hand servants that got you anything you needed?" Maui asked curiously.

"Yes, but since I left Ogygia, I have no longer needed them. I do things for myself."

"That's cool. If you need any advice about being a mortal girl living in modern times, I'm sure I speak for all us girls that we'd be happy to help you out," Heather mentioned to her.

"Thank you, I would greatly appreciate that." Leo let out another whine as he was hit in the shoulder by Sherman. He hobbled over to the table hoping to avoid being hit some more. He looked at the twelve mortals with a critical eye. "Are you twelve going to hit me as well?"

"Why should we? We don't know you personally," Eunice pointed out to him. "Besides Acolytes welcome people who return home safely not hurt them."

"Also, we're not in any condition right now to punch you," Tino added.

Leo looked relieved at that, but had to endure several more punches as Percy summarized what was going on with the Triumvirate and their most recent actions against demigods. Apollo added a few colorful details about the Grove of Dodona and the prophecy he'd received.

Leo rubbed his bruises. "Man, why does it not surprise me that modern corporations are run by zombie Roman emperors'?"

"They are not zombies," Apollo said. "I'm not sure they run all corporations."

Leo waved his hand interrupting the ex-god explanation. "They're trying to take over the Oracles?"

"Yes."

"That's pretty bad. So if you need help completing your quest then Calypso and I are happy to help. Well, I would be at least. Calypso, babe, you'll help please?"

Most of them were shocked by the nickname, but only half surprised that Calypso would agree to help. She was in love with Leo and would offer her aid when he asked for it. "If we're going to help Apollo on his trials, we need a few days rest to prepare our supplies, fix Fetus, and come up with a plan on what to do next."

There the squeak of wheels as Rachel pushed Chiron over to the picnic table. "I'm sure that the campers are more than willing to help you prepare for the journey. As for Leo, I'm glad to see you alive." Suddenly an equine leg came out from under the blanket, kicking the boy square in the chest, leaving an indent of a hoof on it, "But if you ever pull a stunt like that again you'll live to regret it."

Leo nodded and begged that the physical abuse stop. Nico agreed to it only because they ran out of people here that wanted to punch him. Once they regained contact with Camp Jupiter, he was back on the chopping block.

Percy left before dinner wishing everyone luck in the near future. They wished him well in graduating from school and hoped he could actually go to New Rome College next year. If Apollo failed his trials, then everyone would be doomed. Still as everyone relaxed by the fire's warmth they were all hopeful for the future.

* * *

 _So the story is at an end or is it? We may have completed "_ The Hidden Oracle." _But we still have one more chapter to go. A bonus chapter about our young Acolytes and Champions and their destiny to come. So see you next Thursday for the last chapter in Blessed Campers._


	9. The Future

_**This chapter is dedicated in the memory of my Grandpa. He passed away March 5th 2017 peacefully in his home with dignity. He was a wonderful, kind, and loving grandpa who would listen to you even if he didn't know what you were talking about. I miss him very much. I hope he and my grandma are living together once more in heaven.**_

* * *

It was Tuesday morning and everyone was eating breakfast. Tomorrow Leo, Calypso, and Apollo would be leaving to head towards Indiana, the only place mentioned in the prophecy. It was good as any place to start on reclaiming the Oracles. Last night they had finished repairing the lava wall. Everyone was in a good mood as the entire camp was back to normal. Time for life to resume its normal course.

"Can you believe it? Tomorrow will be the start of the first quest in ages around here. I hope that three of them can do it," Maui said, taking a big bite out of his waffle. "You ever think about going on our own quest?"

"Living here in a quest in itself. Haven't you had enough excitement to last you a month?" Eunice asked with a raised eyebrow. She seemed to be extra happy today. She had not stopped smiling since she read the contents of a package that had been left on the edge of her bed.

The boy shrugged his shoulders. He was always up for some fun. The others laughed at continued to enjoy their meal. Next to them the Champions were going over the new patrols including into the woods a bit way to make sure none on the ants came into camp. Just then the barrier flashed and there was a loud hum. Someone was trying to get into the camp!

"Let's move Champions! Where's the attempted breach?" Uma called out.

"The main entrance! We're coming with you to strengthen the barrier," Chui responded. Everyone got up and followed him grabbing whatever they could use as a weapon. They all feared this was another attack from Nero to prevent Apollo and his friends from leaving camp.

Flying above their heads was Tanzanite, the Champions messenger pigeon. She let out a coo as she flew through the barrier and circled around the entrance way. Spotting a familiar person she circled around and landed on the man's outstretched arm. The man scratched her head and gave her some birdseed. He then placed a message in her messenger tube.

Tanzanite flew back through the barrier and headed to Wyatt. The young man had just reached the crest of the hill staring at the barrier. He could make out a lot of people standing around the entrance. None of them looked like kids. They were adults, which made the situation even worse. A few of them even seemed very anxious.

A loud coo caused Wyatt to look up. He held out an arm for Tanzanite to land on. "What are you doing here girl? A message? Let me see that." He pulled out the scroll and read the message. He went even paler and the hair on his half shaved head stood up. He couldn't breathe for a few seconds.

"Wyatt what's wrong? Wyatt!" Leilani asked. The boy wasn't responding so she snatched the message out of his hands and read it. She let out a chocking sound and her eyes bugged out. Like Wyatt she had entered a state of shock dropping the paper.

Heather was the first Acolyte on the scene. She peered through the barrier seeing the outline of many people, two who seemed very familiar. Seeing the message, she took it and read it. Her heartbeat sped up as she turned and headed back down the hill to meet up with Chiron, who was galloping up the incline.

"Ms. Tebra, why are you not at your station?" Chiron demanded as he halted in his tracks. "Nero and his forces have return to…."

"It's not Nero or his goons out there. It's oh just read this!" she told him as she handed over the message. Wordlessly he read the message and he almost reared all the way up, unable to believe the words on the message. "Is the handwriting authentic?"

"Judging from Wyatt and Leilani's reaction, yes. Oh no, this had to be what our patroness were talking about, when they "visited" us a few days ago. Do we have to let them in?" Heather uncharacteristically begged.

Chiron told her he didn't think they had a choice. Not when two goddesses had given a stamp of approval on this. He turned and ordered the campers to stand down. "We are about to receive some special guests. They will only be here for today. Please resume your normal activities. Also, please be on your best behavior. I mean it."

Confused the other campers left to return to their activities. The trio of questers and Rachel stood their ground wondering what was going on. "Apollo, I have to ask you to stay inside your cabin for now with Leo and Calypso. It won't be forever, but this situation needs a delicate touch and I fear your presence might upset that."

"What do you mean by that?" the ex-god asked. Chiron didn't say anything. Calypso and Leo took Apollo by his arms and dragged him back to his cabin. Rachel raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Ms. Dare if you could fetch my wheelchair and hurry back please. I will need your assistance if we're to help our visitors to stay calm." Rachel nodded and raced towards the Big House to fetch the wheelchair.

While he was giving orders Wyatt had come out of his shock and told the others who exactly was at the gate. None of them could believe it as they entered a mini shock state. They all stared at the barrier, almost begging the people standing there to go away, but it would not be happening. Hastily they cleaned themselves up and held their breath. Taking a deep breath, Chui walked over to the edge of the barrier. He muttered something in Ancient Greek and touched the barrier with his lantern.

The barrier shimmered and slowly a hole opened in it large enough for the small group to step through. A familiar group of people. With looks of shock and surprise several adults took one look around at the camp below, then to the centaur who was standing behind the kids as Rachel rushed up with his wheelchair. Most of them had a hard time recognizing the kids. The group couldn't even speak except for one person.

"Hello Wyatt, sorry about dropping by unexpectedly, but I couldn't keep them away for much longer. I'm just glad your patroness agreed to this or we'd be having a manhunt for you and others," Wyatt's grandpa told him before jerking his thumb behind him. "Your grandma here is handling this a lot better than the others. Tried to prepare them, but as you can see I got mixed results."

Behind him the rest of the parents and one social worker jaws went back into their mouths. The kids cringed before giving out a variety of greetings to their parents/guardians. This was going to be an interesting visit. One that wasn't going to end well.

* * *

After the immediate shock wore off and Chiron got into his magical wheelchair, the group of adults followed the children as they lead the way down Half Blood Hill and past the Cave of the Oracle. Chiron and Rachel took turns explaining about the history of the camp and the truth about the campers. No one except the Grimwoods said anything as they tried to process everything they were seeing.

"So this camp has been around a long time? You must be honored to help guide and shape modern demigods. The children all look very happy here. How many children are currently here?" Mrs. Grimwood asked kindly. Like her husband she found this place fascinating and welcoming.

"We have a small group of year-rounders' with us right now, about a dozen or so, not including your grandson and his friends. This camp is meant to train and teach the demigod children about their heritage. There are dangers out in the real world and this camp is the only safe place for many."

"Excuse me, what do you mean by that?" Mrs. Brookfield, Eunice's caseworker, asked with a hardened gaze. She was furiously writing in her casebook about everything she saw and shaping it as a report that would get Eunice back to Montana ASAP. Looking around at the various campers, she had no doubt many of them weren't here with legal permission from their caretakers.

"Mrs. Brookfield, if the gods of Ancient Greece are still around, then that means the mythological beasts are still around. There is something called the Mist that hides them from normal people, disguising them as something else to protect those who can't see through it from danger. The same Mist disguises this camp as farmland, as you probably saw from the road," Rachel explained to the caseworker.

"If this is disguised why can we see what is truly here now?" Ms. Gonzales asked politely. They had finished walking through the strawberry fields, a great surprise in the middle of January. She admitted it was nice and warmer in here, the cold wasn't as strong.

"Because Hestia and Hera temporarily opened your minds wide enough to accept what is here. Once you leave this camp, you'll most likely forget what you saw and your mind will make something up to fill the blank period," Tino explained to his mom. He added that mortals couldn't enter here normally and that the kids could enter and leave, (they had tested that), because of the blessing they each received.

"There is no such thing as any god, but only the One True God. Sidonia, why have you betrayed your beliefs with this heresy?" Mr. Silverstein demanded as they passed by the volleyball court and would be arriving at the Big House in a matter of minutes. He grabbed her arm roughly squeezing a bit harder than he needed to.

She used her combat training to twist out of his grip and looked directly into her father's eyes as she replied. "I have betrayed no beliefs Father. I practice our faith every single day. The Greek Pantheon are individual beings who live in higher plane of existence, but they are not the One True God. Hestia, is my patroness and a godmother to my cabin mates and me. I only call upon her if I am seeking advice about my duties."

Before her father could respond, Chui butted in. "Mr. Silverstein, everyone. Please, just observe and listen for now before you pass judgement. Our patronesses obviously felt that you deserved to know the whole truth about what is going on here. If they can be generous enough to allow something as big as this, then please don't offend them by being too hasty."

His mother gave him a look of pride. Her son had always had a way with words. Hearing him speak so confidently and doing his best to be diplomatic. He stood tall and proud. His bunk mates leaned towards him with complete trust in their body language. "My son makes a fair point. If he can be flexible enough to give this place a chance, then we should show the same courtesy." She looked at the rest of the families with a pointed expression. Silently the group agreed to listen and observe.

* * *

They entered the Big House and were greeted by Seymour roaring for a snack. Eunice picked up some snacks from the table and fed the leopard head, scratching him behind the ears. Rachel went into the kitchen area to get some drinks and fruit. During this impromptu brunch Chiron finished his explanation about the camp and how the children's' roles as Acolytes and Champions, had become vital to everyday camp life. Each kid then told them how they were selected and what domain they represented.

Taking note that a few of the parents were muttering under their breath about not seeing a single piece of evidence that any schooling took place; Vitas agreed to show the parents the upper portions of the House, including their classrooms, trophy area, and the records room where they were working on the chronicles.

"Chiron teaches us for an hour and half downstairs. Learning to read and speak Ancient Greek, some other languages, and history. This is where our assistant satyr teacher, Jake, teaches Eunice, Maui, along with me and Orlanda for another hour and half. We've covered most of the school year so far," Vitas explained as he walked over to his desk. He pulled out his science text book and showed them that they were currently studying different types of matter and how to measure them.

"Tomorrow there's a quiz about everything we've learned so far in this chapter. I've kept an A-average this school year and I have even earned extra credit for bringing in my rock collection for study last month."

"Only three hours of school? How can you achieve academic success with only three hours of school?" Mrs. Choi asked anxiously. She was trying to keep an open mind, especially when her son introduced them to the satyr Jake. It just went against her traditional nature. There was nothing Korean about this place.

"There are tons of other activities we do throughout the day that count as class time," Heather explained from the doorway. "If you'll follow us we'll show you the different activity areas and what we do during the week."

"You might also be interested in some of the other building around here to ease some of your worries. There's the camp store, infirmary, and of course our cabins," Iggy mentioned out loud. Xylon snorted in delight. The mascot was certain his boy's parents would love their cabin.

"You can meet some our friends and watch us perform some of our responsibilities. By the time dinner is served, you'll love this place as much as we do," Maui told everyone with huge smile on his face. A usual no one could contain his energy. He ran ahead excited to show them the first place.

The tour started at the forge, where they ran into Nyssa and Harley. Nyssa was making her brother melt down his chain saw Frisbees and turn them into something that wasn't a death trap. The eight year old didn't look happy about that. He brightened up when he saw Maui yet lost his voice upon seeing all the adults.

"Hi Maui, who are your guests?" Nyssa asked in a normal voice. She remembered what Chiron said about acting normal. If the goddesses let them in the camp, they must have had a reason. She didn't want to do anything that would cause her friends to leave.

"Our parents and guardians," he replied as each mortal introduced their family members. "So what are you doing today?"

"Melting down some of Harley's toys so we can re-purpose the Celestial Bronze. I figure we need a few more shields. We don't have enough in the armory after the attack."

"What attack would that be young lady?" Mrs. Huiah asked in a tight voice.

"I believe you should ask your son and daughter about it. They were amazing and very brave during the attack. Without them, our home would have been destroyed. They earned rewards for their efforts."

Uma tugged on her mother's duppa and talked softly to her father in Hindi. She was urging them to follow her towards the combat area. Her Mama and Father had no doubt taken in account her _valari_ and her polos instead of duppa.

 _"I know what you are thinking. Have I forgotten the principles of_ Ahisma _? Have I knowingly ignored our basic principles about the spiritual connection between everything? No I haven't Father."_

 _"Uma, you are a dutiful daughter. I'm proud of how much you've grown here and it clear you are a dedicated leader to your young charges. Yet, I still believe it is not a woman's place to fight when a father or kinsmen should be protecting you."_

 _"Father, please try to understand. I have followed the practice of Ahisma when it comes to self-defense. As the Champion of Marriage, not only is it my responsibility to protect the sanctity that is marriage, but at the same time ensure that aggressors remain neutralized so relationships can occur."_

 _"You fought in that battle the girl mention earlier didn't you? Your stance has changed from a gracious daughter to a soldier prepared for battle. Is this true?"_

 _"Yes Mama and I would do it again. I try to avoid conflict and resolve problems without violence. There are times though when I have no choice except to draw my weapon and fight. Is not the protection of those I consider my kin, who have protected me from danger as well, not a time to use violence?"_

Their conversation was put on hold as Paolo called out a greeting in Portuguese and she responded. She invited him over to meet her parents. Damien was shaking the Grimwoods hands talking up a storm about how cool their grandson was. He even demonstrated how he taught Wyatt how to break out of certain holds.

They stopped at the archery range, where the Frankfurts nearly had a heart attack as they watched their daughter fire arrows. Seeing her hit eight out of ten bull's eyes didn't put them at ease. Once again, they starting citing sports were too dangerous for a blind girl, only to have Kayla unleash her inner coach, giving them a serious talk about athletics and blindness. Behind them Orlanda gave her best friend a big thumbs up.

When they reached the pegusi stables, everyone was speechless. Seeing such magnificent creatures behaving so nicely was astonishing. If any of the adults had thought this was group hallucination, this put an end to that. The Tebras couldn't disguise their joy at seeing Heather and Zoe flying through the air perfectly in sync. Their daughter truly had a knack for riding pegusi.

It went on like this as they visited different areas of the camp. Different places had special meaning to each individual. For example, Tino liked doing inventory at the camp store and making sure everyone had what they needed. Vitas loved cannoning in the lake and searching for rocks along the shore. Sidonia handed out extra samples of her scented candles to everyone present in the arts and crafts pavilion.

During lunch the kids introduced their friends to their loved ones. Each one of them was on their best behavior. Leo and Calypso, who had been released from the Apollo cabin, stopped by for a few minutes before saying they had to go finish packing for their quest tomorrow. Having heard from others what exactly the quest was and the dangers involved, had several mothers and Mrs. Brookfield ready to charge Chiron with child endangerment.

* * *

Finally it was time to go see the kids' cabins and listen to them explain their duties. The Acolytes and Champions whispered good luck to one another. It was clear to most of them they still had some serious minds to change on letting them stay. None of them knew what they would do if their parents forced them to leave.

The Steins admitted they were impressed by the Hestia Cabin and couldn't believe that their son had helped build this from the ground up. The yard was spacious and seeing the outdoor enclosure showed that Ichabod was taking care of his pet. Even Xylon seemed eager to show them the special ramp that helped him get in and out of the cabin with ease.

"We fenced in a portion of the green so Xylon could have a nice place to run around and exercise in. He loves his outdoor enclosure where he takes his morning nap in when I'm in class," Iggy explained to his parents. He then pointed to a different corner in the yard where silver tins had been stacked.

"Those tins are for holding the sacred ashes from Hestia Hearth. We collect them every morning and afternoon. During our two hours to carry out our duties, we repurpose the ashes for a variety of purposes from making soap to keeping the algae levels down in the lake. It can be a bit time consuming and messy, but we don't mind."

A few feet away Maui's mom inspected the exterior of the cabin, admiring the details that went into the design. The hybrid structure was charming. "Did you come up with the original design Maui?" She recalled some of her son's early models and this appeared to match one he made.

"Yeah I did Mom. The porch gives us extra space to relax in. The roof is charmed so it can't catch fire. Come on inside, you'll love it as much as we do."

With so many people it was a bit cramped inside. Heather took her folks over to the wardrobe showing them where they kept their hooded shawls. "Each of us has a set of three hooded shawls. Our friend, Tino, his mom made these patches that we sewed on them to make them authentic looking."

"You wear this when performing your duties?" her mother asked. Her daughter nodded and went on to explain some of their duties. "We tend Hestia's Hearth, making sure it keeps burning and protect it in times of danger. We help reinforce the barrier by taking small samples from the fire and reinfusing weak points."

Eunice giggled as she sat on her bed showing how comfy it was. "We're also the welcome committee, take care our domains, and generally just represent Hestia. You know giving her a presence here to remind our friends that without her special hearth, the valley wouldn't be a safe place for everyone here."

Mrs. Brookfield said nothing as she wrote more notes in her casebook noting the living situation. The open windows gave plenty of light, the beds were stable and it appeared that everyone had their own space. The cabin certainly seemed safe and Eunice was happy. However, as her caseworker she had to weigh the safety of her charge against Eunice's own happiness.

Chui took his parents into the bathroom showing them the open baths with a two water closets and a huge sink with a mirror that all six of them shared. "We can draw these curtains when we bathe so boys and girls don't get a show of one another. Communal baths existed during Ancient Greek times, so it was easy to incorporate that part into this area."

"Very sensible and shared baths means you can all get clean without a schedule. None of you feel uncomfortable about the situation?" Mrs. Freeman asked her son.

"Not really, it was awkward at first, but we've gotten used to it."

His father asked him about being the Head Councilor for the cabin and was he providing well for his kin. Chui nodded knowing how this was important to his family. Gabonese strongly valued family and strong leadership.

"As Head Councilor, I'm responsible for everyone in my cabin. I go to councilor meetings, plan our activities, and I create our duty schedule. I'm always there whenever someone needs me. As the Acolyte of Stately Order, it's my job to keep everything running smoothly no matter what." He could tell he was winning over his parents.

Sidonia on the other hand, wanted to scream in frustration as her parents nitpicked everything. She had shown them the altar above the hearth. They looked very cross to see Hestia's statue being placed dead center on the mantel. There were other religious symbols on each side of the statue going by age.

"Do you really think it's appropriate for all these different religious symbols being together on this altar?" Mr. Silverstein asked pointing to the mantel. There was a carving of the Hawaiian god Maui, a simple cross, the Star of David, two more crosses, and small ceramic antelope piece.

"I believe that everyone has the right to worship in their own way Father. I know it is difficult for you to understand, but I have found a place here that I'm happy to just be me."

She looked at her mother, who hadn't said anything yet. Mrs. Silverstein had finished examining the cabin. She looked out the window towards the other campers. Her gaze landed on Valentina, who was sitting down on her cabin steps, bedazzling a pair of sunglasses. Turning her attention back at her daughter she silently studied her.

"Father, Mom, please for once think about me and not my position in the family pecking order. My brothers are on their way to following their dreams. My sisters are growing up happy dreaming about their future. As the middle child I'm the only one whose not truly happy back home."

"What do you mean by that Sidonia?" her mom asked before her husband could speak. She already had her suspicions about the positive changes to her daughter's life, she just wanted Sidonia to confirm them.

"I'm still a little shy and sometimes have trouble standing up for myself. Still, for once I'm doing things for myself, I have confidence to speak my mind without worry. I've done things I never dreamed I do such as become a model for my friend Valentina's designs.

My unique talents are appreciated and even help people. The demigods are exactly like our people were during WWII, only its everyday of their lives. I helped save their lives a few days ago. If I leave, I'll always remember that and feel as if I let them down. You say I'm adult in the eyes of the community. If that's true then let me stay here and do my duty." Sidonia anxiously waited to hear what her parents had to say about that.

* * *

In Hera's cabin there were a lot of mixed feelings between the adults and children. The cabin was very fancy being made out of marble. The skylight let in the afternoon sun. Uma was seated on one cushy couch and Wyatt on the other. Leilani was showing her the trophy case filled with academic and Friday night activity trophies sat. Tino was showing his mom the bathroom he helped put together. Vitas and Orlanda sat on their beds trying to win over their parents.

Uma and her parents were speaking in Hindi again, wanting to keep their conversation private. Throughout the day, her parents had slowly been accepting that this place, while not exactly as it had been described in the brochure, was still what they had been told. Her translating Paolo's conversation about his friendship with her had helped considerably.

 _"I admit this place is different then what we were told certainly. I'm half tempted to drag you out of this place and ship you back to India until your marriage is arranged. It's what any responsible father would do."_

Uma hung her head. She knew where this was going and moved to get up. She would start packing her bags and say goodbye to her friends. Her mother however tugged her to sit back down. Curious, she sat back down. She tilted her head up and looked at her father.

 _"As you are my only child and daughter, it falls to me to ensure you're provided for and have good standing among our fellow Hindu. When I look at you I see more than just a smart, faithful girl who always listens to others. You are a strong woman who takes care of her household. A girl who has moved up the caste system to be a warrior. Most importantly, I see a young lady, who has taken on a huge responsibility to care for the "poor" and fulfill her duties to a patron."_

 _"We're so proud of you Uma. You have kept your faith while accepting a non-traditional goddess as another guide to help you in life. It would be wrong to take you from this place. As long as you promise to keep following our faith and come home for the summer, we'll let you stay."_

Uma was so happy to hear to hear that, she started to cry a little. All she could do was thank her parents over and over again.

Wyatt noticed the quiet celebration with a pleased expression on his face. Then it shifted to his bored looking face as he sarcastically asked his grandparents about his mom's condition. "Has she gotten any worse, does she miss me?"

"Your mom is the same as ever Wyatt. Most of the time she can't remember she had you," his grandma told him gently. He looked so sad hearing that. "On good days, when she remembers recent events, she's very proud of you. Did you one to come back home to be closer to her?"

Wyatt shook his head explaining he couldn't leave camp now. He reminded his grandparents about the three evil emperors were still out there. Unless they were defeated, the modern would be overrun by crazy and cruel emperors. No, he would stay and keep everyone safe. His grandparents couldn't be prouder.

Leilani and her father had sat down on some stools she had gotten out of the closet. The fourteen year old had just finished telling her father about rescuing her brother after he'd been taken hostage. Now she was awaiting judgement by him. "I should have been more responsible for Maui. If I had partnered with him during the race, I could have prevented him from being captured. He nearly died because I couldn't keep him safe." She hung her head ashamed for breaking her promise to her Dad.

"Sounds to me without you; Maui would have died along with several other people, a sacred site destroyed, and your friend's home lost," her dad countered. She looked up at him, stunned by what he said.

"I don't understand, I thought you be furious with me!" she exclaimed.

"I am furious, but not with you or your brother. Not even at this place and its residents. I'm furious at Nero and everything he's done to innocent people in his mad quest for power. You and your brother, out of billions of children, were selected by two powerful goddesses, because you're the best representation of architecture and womanhood. That must count for something important."

Leilani blushed a bit embarrassed to hear her father talk to her about womanhood. "I am pretty courageous and clever. Not to mention adventurous, caring, and selfless. Even faced with death, and thinking how you and mom would be effected by it, I didn't give up."

In the bathroom Tino was babbling on about how he had installed most of the plumbing. He kept pointing out the details on the walls. He was telling his mom how he did most of the maintenance around here when gently asked him to stop talking.

She smiled at her son, tears glittering in her eyes. "Oh Tino, I'm so happy for you. To think my son was chosen for such an important role, to guide others on how to be a good mother or even fathers, is such an enormous responsibility. I always knew there was something special waiting for you." She embraced him, running her fingers through his low ponytail.

"I'm proud of myself too Mom," he whispered in her ears. Taking a step back he scratched behind his big ears, a telltale sign that he was anxious about something in his mind. "I am proud and happy to be here, but you need me back at home. You shouldn't have work overtime. The kids need someone to watch them while their mothers do their shopping. Not to mention I should be taking care of you."

"Oh Tino, I love you so much, but I would be a selfish mother if I took you away from here," his mom told him. Tino started to protest, but she tapped him on his big nose, something she had always done when she wanted to talk to him about something important.

"I've worked so hard to make sure you had a good life. You're everything I could want in a son. Well mannered, respectful, and devoted to everyone you love." Holding his face in her hands she stroked his face. "This is your chance Tino. I let you come here because I believed it was the best thing for you. I still think that even after learning the entire truth."

"Don't you need me Mom? I love you more than this camp."

"Tino love never fades, we grow closer, but sometimes we need to be apart so we can share our love. Right now your love is needed here. We'll see each other again. I promise, but for now, I give my permission for you to stay."

Vitas was clenching his hands as he listen to his father go about how could Vitas have lied to him and take a blessing from a who clearly doesn't belong in Confucianism. Why was he dressed as hooligan? How could he lie to his family after learning the truth about this place?

His mother was also clearly distressed going on about how could she let her husband convince her this was a good idea. There were beasts everywhere, supernatural children just waiting to curse her son. No, he was coming straight home and they would find a shawoman to rid him of this blessing.

A voice that sounded suspiciously like Malcolm's whispered in his head. Vitas remembered asking how he could find himself while honoring his culture. For once in his life Vitas threw etiquette out the proverbial window and stood up for himself.

 _"NO! You are not going to remove my blessing. Nor are you going to take me away from my friends and family here."_

 _"VITAS! How dare you show such disrespect to me? I am your father and therefore I'm your superior. Clearly you have forgotten proper etiquette and that you are to be obedient. As my oldest son and only child it falls on you to be the main provider, to improve our social status. Not embarrass us and bring shame to our kibun_. _When will you learn that family is everything?"_

 _"Maybe when you remember our family left South Korea four generations ago and I'm Korean American! All my life I have done everything you and mom wanted. I have followed all traditions, put family first, and have lived up to my role as your heir and son._

 _I did everything Korean, I did the things you wanted me to do. I never got to do anything I wanted. You put me down each time. I am not your clone Father! I am my own person and I will not be stripped of my right to choose because of tradition. I love and honor our culture, but I am embracing my American side now._

 _Does it mean nothing to you out of every kid on the planet that I was chosen to be the Champion of the Heavens? For the first time I have friends? That I have finally figure out who I am? This is my kinship group, my family. You can drag me home and force traditions down my throat, but if you do, know I will never forgive you and I will sue for emancipation!"_

Vitas's parents were taken about by their son's attitude. By all accounts Vitas should be receiving the harshest punishment he could be given after he was home again. On the other hand, in their culture a strong person, especially a son who stood up for his family, to defend their honor was considered to be a worthy and respectful person. Clearly there was much to still consider before making a final decision here.

Orlanda was getting tired of the same old spiel. Her parents kept telling her that she needed to go back to her previous school. There were too many dangerous things here and she was helpless to avoid danger because she couldn't see. They had told her not to pursue athletics and doing something simple and safe, such as theater. As soon as they could, they would get her out of danger to a nice safe place, where she didn't have to worry about getting hurt.

"That's it, I'm sick and tired of you treating me like I'm going to break into a thousand pieces if I'm not constantly under someone supervision. You have to stop being so overprotective!" Orland stated loudly to them in impatience. She sensed her parents taking a step back at her exclamation.

"We're just trying to keep you safe. Everything we've ever done has been to make life easier for you," Mrs. Frankfurt insisted to her daughter. "You're the youngest in the family and my baby girl. I want you to be safe from harm. The world is a dangerous place when you can't see."

"Mom, you have to stop blaming yourself for my blindness. You did nothing wrong, congenital defects happen sometimes for no reason at all. This is no one's fault," she insisted knowing that was the heart of the matter. Her parents blamed themselves for this. She turned to her father and spoke to him. "Why do you love Madison and Augusta more than me?"

"That's preposterous Orlanda. I love you and your sisters equally. Each you is special to me. You know I'm always there for you," Mr. Frankfurt informed his child. He reached out for her only for the eleven year old only for her bat his hand away.

The eleven year old girl removed her sunglasses and then crossed her arms. She moved closer to her parents forcing them to look into her blank eyes. "Not in the same way you are there for Augusta and Madison. To you they're queens in chess and I'm the dirty little pawn." She pressed on not wanting to be interrupted. She counted on her fingers how many ways they treated her different or that they loved her siblings more than they did here.

"Madison and Augusta we're only too happy to tell me what a burden I was when I was three. Mom and you would tag team to take care of me, but once I was safely in my room, both of you couldn't wait to play with your normal daughters. One of you always sacrificed your time going to events for my siblings while the other stayed behind to watch me and complaining about it. You encouraged them to pursue their dreams and praised them about their achievements that they earned, only praising me if I didn't run into anything."

Orlanda went on about how they never let her out of the house or meet the other neighborhood kids. That when people came over they made her sit in a chair and not move at all. They got everything they thought she needed to compensate for her lack of sight yes. On the other hand they kept helping her so much she barely had any independence, making her feel like they had no faith in her own ability to manage things.

The worst thing was they never gave her a chance to go to regular school. As soon as they could they shipped her off to the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. Visits were infrequent and when they did come, no one in the family actually saw or heard her. They didn't even listen when the teachers told them how well she was doing. They were proud of her of course, but always insisted that she be heavily monitored.

"I was chosen to by, Hera Queen of the Greek Gods herself, to be her Champion of Glory, because I was blind! She didn't see it as a burden, just a challenge that made me work harder and stronger to prove myself. She believed in me and brought me to a place where I'm accepted for who I am and not coddled because of my blindness. If you actually love me and want what's best, then you won't take me away from here." With that she got up and left the cabin to go for a walk.

* * *

Seeing their friend and cabin mate leave upset, the other Champions took off after her leaving their families behind. A few minutes later the adults followed after the kids. They followed them towards the Apollo Cabin and were surprised to see the parents of the kids in Hestia's cabin watching as their kids helped a slightly unremarkable teen with last minute things for his quest.

"Remember, if you run into trouble don't hesitate to ask for help. Regular humans can be very helpful if you know the right questions to ask," Heather told the boy as she handed him some extra maps.

"The Midwest can be dangerous and you'll have to watch out for strange weather patterns. If you have to leave behind Festus, try taking public transportation and don't complain about it Phoebus," Chui informed him. Using Apollo's alternate name made sure the folks didn't freak out again.

"Believe me Chui, I am capable of learning how to act like a proper human."

"We'll see about that," Orlanda remarked as she joined the group. "Hey Will, you have something that can calm frayed nerves?" Will nodded and handed her a few oranges to help reduce her stress. "Thanks Will, these are good."

"You're welcome. These are the last of the oranges, so if you need a stress reducer you'll have to eat asparagus."

Orlanda nodded with a shiver. She really didn't like veggies. She was about to ask "Phoebus" if he remembered to write down the prophecy in case his memory failed, when she saw her bunk mates. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you of course. We were worried about you. Also, we wanted to give you this A… I mean Phoebus. It's not much, but we hope this might give you some confidence," Uma told him. She gave him a small plaque with the words Hera had sent them.

"Thanks, I'll look at it each time I need a reminder of why I'm in this mess in the first place."

Everyone laughed and said that they would join them at dinner. The Acolytes and Champions left and went off to do their duties, not caring anymore if their folks were watching them or not. It wasn't like they could do anything anymore to change some of the more stubborn ones minds. Although Eunice did hand her social worker the packet she had found this morning. Once more the caretakers observed their children some seeing for the first time who their children really were.

A few hours later it was dinner time and they had all gathered together to share the meal. An extra table had to be brought in because Hestia and Hera's tables had been built for only six people. Everyone was trying to act normal, but the demigods kept glancing at the adults, not use to seeing people their age in the camp.

Halfway through the meal, the Chiron stood up, calling everyone's attention. "Campers and guests, today has been unlike any other in camp history. Tomorrow our brave questers, Phoebus, Leo, and Calypso will start the journey to reclaim the Oracle network. Their journey will not be easy, our enemy the Trimvarient have a great advantage over us. We have already seen the length one member, Emperor Nero, has gone to destroy us. The battle against the Colossus proved that despite this advantage, by working together, we have a chance to win this war. While our questors are securing the network, the rest of us here will continue to prepare for attacks and finish the chronicles that our Acolytes have started. They may contain a clue to help us."

Everyone shouted and cheered. There was no way they would let Chiron down. As the cheers died down, the demigods turned their attention to the Acolytes and Champions. The anticipation was building up and several of the campers were trying not to let their abilities get out of control.

"As you know today we've had some guests visiting us, courtesy of Hera who bent the rules to allow the families of our beloved Acolytes and Champions, to be the first mortal parents to see the wonder of Camp Half-Blood. I hope that you have enjoyed your time here. After observing your children's lives here; it is my hope that you'll allow them to stay. Ultimately, the choice falls to you. Acolytes please stand up along with your families."

They all did, some more eager than others. Each Acolyte stood in front of their parents/guardian, waiting to hear if they were staying or if some had changed their mind and wanted to take them away. at the next table the Champions tapped the table anxiously.

Chiron asked the Freemans to step forward and speak about what they had decided. Mr. Freeman started to speak. "Today was a special day. From what my wife and I have observed, you have created a community and your own kinship group. The fact that you have allowed our son and his friends here, shows that you are willing to extend that kinship to anyone who comes here."

"Seeing how much he's grown and become a wise leader, we both feel that the best place for our son right now is here. He is welcome to stay here and continue his education until he graduates." Chui smiled and thanked his father for letting him stay.

Heather stood up next as her parents admitted this camp was not as advertised, they recognized how important Heather's duties were. She played a vital role in helping the family stick together and had made wonderful friends. They agreed to let her stay as long as she came home for two months during the summer and visited during breaks. That was good enough for her.

Ichabod's parents didn't waste time agree that their son had shown he was capable of taking care of himself and that living here was a dream come true. They acknowledge their son and his pet fit right in and that he could stay. After all everyone cabin needed a mascot. Iggy and Xylon jumped in joy upon hearing that.

Sidonia hung her head when it was her turn. She knew her father wouldn't let her stay. Her mom had said she was okay with her staying here, but the decision was ultimately her father's as he was head of the family.

"Sidonia, I allowed you to come here because I believed you would get over your shyness and become a productive member in our family and community at large. Being Conservative, means applying theology and some science into each situation to make the best decision for everyone." He paused for a minute as he studied his daughter. She looked so defeated. "While I'm not completely comfortable with the situation, your mother has convinced me that for now, this is your home and that you belong here. We will not be taking you home for now. That may change in the future."

Sidonia didn't care at the moment what he said, she was being allowed to stay and continue her journey of becoming a more confident, happy, young lady. She could convince her father at another time that he couldn't ever make her stop coming here.

Eunice case was rather unique. Mrs. Brookfield had been put in a tight situation. She had been set on taking Eunice back to Montana and finding a good psychiatrist to rid her charge's mind of this place. However, there was a legal tangle in that.

The packet had contained adoption documents that had been filled out and properly processed. One Hestia Olympus agreed to adopt Eunice as a godchild with shared custody with the girl's godfather Chiron. The documents were binding. Since she couldn't protest the adoption on the grounds that the people mentioned where a goddess and a centaur without sounding crazy she had no choice in the matter. Like it or not she had to let Eunice stay. She would never admit it out loud, but she was happy for Eunice.

Maui and Leilani were both given permission to stay by their parents as long as they continued to watch out for one another. They agreed and promised they would come back home to visit once the situation had been resolved.

Uma's parents had agreed to let their daughter stay and she vowed to keep her promise so there was no problem there. Wyatt of course always had the support of his grandparents who knew better than anyone a good adventure helped mold a person. Tino's mom reassured her son one more time that she would be fine and that they would see each other again soon. Tino relaxed after that and happily announced he would be staying.

Now the last two were the trickiest because of the parents' personalities. The Choi's had done some hard thinking as well as took in account Vitas life here. As much as they hated to admit it, Vitas was half American and if they continued to push traditions on him, traditions he would follow, but never would be happy, one day they might lose their son forever. They agreed to let Vitas stay and continue his education with the same stipulation he would visit and continue to pursue academic success.

The Frankfurt's stood up and looked at the angry expression on their daughter's face. After Orlanda's blunt truth and speaking to several of her friends and even Chiron, they had been forced to see the truth in front of them. They had been overprotective and slightly ashamed of their daughter's blindness. The truth was, they really didn't know who Orlanda was and they had never put in enough effort to learn. They had listened to the doctors and her teachers, but refused to budge on their beliefs.

"Orlanda, we have a lot to apologize for. We've been so busy trying to protect you, we never let you be yourself. All we saw was the life you never could have instead of paying attention to the life you are living. Can we start over?" Mrs. Frankfurt asked kindly.

Orlanda bit her lip before asking if that meant they would let her stay. When both her parents said yes, she hugged them tightly. She was ready to start over with them and show them the life she had made for herself here. The noise of everyone cheering that their favorite mortal campers would be staying barely reached her ears.

* * *

About an hour later the parents/guardians had gathered their things preparing to pass through the barrier and back to the "real world". It unsure what they would remember once they passed through the barrier and left the area. The only thing they could do was promise they keep trying to communicate and that they'd be on their guard against any twilight emperors coming after them. With a final goodbye they crossed the barrier and left heading for their homes.

"You think they'll remember anything from this visit?" Vitas asked nervously.

"I don't know honestly. If they even remember a little bit that will be enough for all of us I think," Iggy told the group honestly. They all nodded. A huge weight had been lifted off them now that their parents knew the truth. It had set them free of any lingering guilt for not admitting everything earlier.

Six months had changed them all. They were no longer twelve unseasoned mortal kids. They were accomplished Acolytes and Champions. Each of them had become a master of their domain. Each of them had particular set of skills that made them stronger. Under Hestia and Hera's guidance they would thrive and lead a new age for Camp Half-Blood, one that could survive without its blessed campers.


End file.
